Tory power stance
The Tory power stance is a human body position notably adopted by members of the British Conservative Party. The posture consists of standing with the legs spread wide apart and the upper body relaxed.[1][2][3] The position has been described colloquially as "the Beyoncé", after the performer Beyoncé.[4] The stance has also been called the "Tory power pose" and "the John Wayne".[5]
![](../I/m/Action_figure_performs_a_Tory_power_stance.jpg)
The stance first came to public attention 2015 Conservative Party Conference,[6] but had previously been used by Labour Prime Minister Tony Blair.[7] The stance is intended to display power and confidence although has mostly garnered ridicule. It is perhaps based on the controversial 'power posing' hypothesis of Amy Cuddy or a misunderstanding of it.[8][9] Politicians pictured in this stance have included Sajid Javid, George Osborne, David Cameron,[10] Tony Blair[11] and Theresa May.[12][11]
References
- Smith, Mikey (30 April 2018). "New Home Secretary Sajid Javid adopts awkward Tory 'wide standing' stance". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 30 April 2018.
- Bartlett, Evan (3 June 2016). "Tories keep doing that incredibly weird thing with their legs". indy100. Retrieved 30 April 2018.
- Wheeler, Brian (1 May 2018). "When is it OK to do a 'power pose'?". BBC News. Retrieved 1 May 2018.
- Williams, Zoe (13 September 2017). "The power pose is dead – here's how to really stand strong". The Guardian. Retrieved 30 April 2018.
- "Newspaper headlines: Javid's 'fresh start' and UK faces care crisis". BBC News. 1 May 2018. Retrieved 1 May 2018.
- Khaleeli, Homa (7 October 2015). "A body language lesson gone wrong: why is George Osborne standing like Beyoncé?". The Guardian. Retrieved 30 April 2018.
- Hanra, Hanna (3 May 2018). "what's with the weird power stance people keep doing?". i-D.
- Sharma, Ruchira (30 April 2018). "A body language expert on why Sajid Javid (and other Conservatives) use the bizarre 'power pose'". i News. Retrieved 30 April 2018.
- Khaleeli, Homa (7 October 2015). "A body language lesson gone wrong: why is George Osborne standing like Beyoncé?". The Guardian. Retrieved 3 January 2019.
- Smith, Mikey (2 June 2016). "Has David Cameron finally caught the Tory 'wide standing' disease?". Daily Mirror. Retrieved 30 April 2018.
- Mills, Jen (30 April 2018). "Why do Tories keep standing like this?". Metro.
- Belam, Martin (30 April 2018). "Sajid Javid and the return of the Tory power stance". The Guardian. Retrieved 30 April 2018.