Jeremy Corbyn was seen lacking in festive cheer today as he slammed a car door and blanked Boris Johnson following his crushing election defeat last week.
The Labour leader was seen leaving his north London home this morning for the Queen’s speech in the House of Lords.
He was asked who he would like to succeed him as Labour leader to which he simply responded to by fiercely shutting his front gate.
Jeremy Corbyn turned his back on the BBC reporter outside his north London home when asked if he was in denial about his crushing election defeat
The stony-faced leader grabbed the door and refused to utter a single word during the short exchange
He slammed the door and sped off in the back of the car to the Queen’s speech in the House of Lords this afternoon
The second slam of the car door came after the BBC reporter asked: ‘Are you in denial about your election defeat?’
After refusing to utter a single word, Mr Corbyn sped off in the back of the car to his first parliamentary speech – less than a week after his party was humiliated at the polls.
The stony-faced leader appeared even less impressed after he was later forced to walk alongside beaming Boris Johnson to the House of Lords this afternoon.
He struck a pose of cold fury on the short trip from the Commons to the Lords and turned down the Prime Minister’s efforts of small talk.
And Twitter users were quick to comment on Corbyn’s blank expression branding it ‘priceless’.
One commented: ‘Corbyn doesn’t look happy at all’ as another noted how the sour-faced Labour leader was ‘flaunting his new citrus-based diet’.
At October’s State Opening of Parliament Mr Corbyn made little attempt to engage with his Tory rival (pictured)
Mr Corbyn has been noted for regularly not speaking to the Conservative leader of the day as they walk side by side for the parliamentary spectacle, despite their efforts to make small talk.
Mr Corbyn endured the short trip from the Commons to the Lords alongside the happy Prime Minister in stony silence, less than a week after his party was humiliated at the polls
Mr Corbyn has been noted for regularly not speaking to the Conservative leader of the day as they walk side by side for the parliamentary spectacle.
And after he handed Mr Johnson a majority of 80- last week – and subsequently announcing he would quit as leader in the new year – Mr Corbyn appeared especially humourless today.
And communication expert Judi James said the tension was building in Mr Corbyn’s body language before he even got up to walk with Mr Johnson.
She said Mr Corbyn then looked ‘scared’ when Mr Johnson moved across to walk with him and tried his best to avoid ‘eye contact or any form of greeting’.
Mr Johnson straightens his tie in a ‘small gesture of self-comfort’ after he was blanked by Mr Corbyn today, according to body language expert Ms James
Ms James added how Mr Corbyn carried out a public ‘cutting’ of the Prime Minister, suggesting he feels his downfall is ‘almost entirely Boris’s fault’.
Mr Johnson then went to ‘straighten his tie in a small gesture of self-comfort that suggests even he has been made to feel awkward’, Ms James said.
Later this afternoon Mr Corbyn struggled to see the funny side after he was compared to the Charles Dickens character Old Marley ‘chained and regretful’.
But the Labour leader failed to utter a laugh as he was ribbed by Tracey Crouch during the Queen’s Speech exchanges.
The speeches by backbenchers after the State Opening are by convention humourous and gently ridicule front benchers,
Former minister Ms Crouch was chosen to open the debate this afternoon, and caused widespread laughter by likening politicians to characters from the Charles Dickens classic.
Twitter users were quick to comment on Jeremy Corbyn’s face as he walked alongside beaming Boris Johnson
She said: ‘Scrooge would have been brilliantly played by the former chancellor, Philip Hammond, but he was sadly pipped to the part by the last Speaker of this House (John Bercow) who auditioned powerfully for the role for many a bleak year.’
Indicating Mr Corbyn she added: ‘Old Marley sits on the front bench opposite, chained and regretful – and that is just about Arsenal’s recent performance.’
The camera cut to Mr Corbyn, who was very obviously not amused by the jibe.
A Tory MP yelled to more laughter: ‘Smile Jeremy, it won’t kill you!’
However, he still maintained his blank expression.
The Queen set out the government’s agenda in a scaled back ceremony in the House of Lords, without the usual pomp and ceremony.
It was the second time she had made the trip from Buckingham in two months, but the context could hardly be more different, with Mr Johnson having secured a huge 80-strong majority in the election rout.
Jeremy Corbyn – who was put to the sword in last week’s election – did not see the funny side as he was ribbed by Tracey Crouch during the Queen’s Speech exchanges
Ms Crouch was chosen to open the debate this afternoon, and caused widespread laughter by likening politicians to characters from the Charles Dickens classic
Mr Johnson vowed to ‘take Britain forward’ today as the Queen’s Speech unveiled his 10-year plan to harness the benefits of Brexit.
Hitting the ground running after his bombshell election victory, the PM warned there is ‘no time to waste’ as he laid out a blizzard of legislation – from an NHS funding bonanza to a new immigration system.
Police numbers will be bolstered by 20,000, stop and search powers beefed up to help tackle knife crime, and terrorists will lose rights to early release as ministers crack down on crime.
There are also moves to drive house-building, and make the market fairer – a key demand for younger voters – including offering 30 per cent discounts for people buying properties in the area where they grew up.
In a nod to the working-class voters in Leave-leaning seats whose support was critical to the defeat of Labour, Mr Johnson said the ‘ambitious’ package would ‘spread opportunity to every corner of our United Kingdom’.
Setting out his vision for two terms in power, Mr Johnson said his first priority would be getting Brexit secured by passing his divorce deal.
But he made clear the Tory project would go much wider. ‘This is a radical Queen’s Speech – it will take us out of the EU, overhaul our immigration system, and will enshrine in law record investment for the NHS,’ Mr Johnson said in a foreword.
‘Just imagine where this country could be in 10 years’ time.’