As the country faces up to the dismal measures being taken to fend off near bankruptcy it must be tough  being a politician. All the news is bad news. Keeping the proverbial ‘chin-up’ in public has never been so crucial. Credit is due to David Cameron.

 It was powerful body laguage that  caterpaulted him to leadership of the Tory party with his “no notes” conference speech at Blackpool. It is his powerful and commanding body language, more than his words, that is enabling much of what the government  has so far achieved. Comment in the Daily Mail talked about “an assured performance, from a politician wholly at ease with power”

Few politicians have this sense of command. In Britain no Prime Minister since Thatcher. Blair was a great communicator  but never had the same command. Few world leaders have it.

 Obama certainly had it when he first came  to power, his presence reinforced by his oratory. Under the scrutinyof what is proving a difficult day job he is losing it.  Hilary Clinton on the other hand has grown from her defeat in the primaries to a commanding international figure and potential president.

The global leader who really does command, transforming his country and winning the 2016 Olympic bid, by sheer presence and force of personality, is the Brazilian President, Lula da Silva.

 From the sublime to the unedifying Labour party leadership contest where none of the contestants exhibit an easy sense of command.Yvette Cooper, who seems to,  might well have won had she stood.