Remember the first rule of negotiating, Theresa ... try not to reveal too much!
THERE was no skirting around the issue for Theresa May when she met the European Council president yesterday.
For as she sat down to discuss her Brexit policy with Donald Tusk, her skirt – with a daring thigh split – seemed to need a negotiation strategy of its own to avoid a fashion faux pas.
But the Prime Minister, 59, managed to prevent an international incident by leaning forward and keeping her arms crossed on her lap as she spoke to Mr Tusk. Always skilled in a tough situation, Mrs
‘The ball is in your court’
May’s swift intervention seemed to work – as the EU chief kept his steely gaze firmly at eye-level throughout their breakfast discussion.
As well as the problematic skirt, Mrs May’s outfit for the meeting at Downing Street included an eyecatching pair of sparkly loafers.
The politician’s penchant for quirky footwear is well known – most memorably the leopard print kitten heels she wore at a Tory Party conference in 2002.
Yesterday, however, the rest of Mrs May’s ensemble was far more conservative, consisting of a soft grey jacket and a pearl necklace. During their 75-minute meeting, Mr Tusk told Mrs May that when it came to leaving the European Union, ‘ the ball is now in your court’, in a sign that Brussels was waiting for her to clarify when she will trigger Article 50.