Sadiq Khan was busy at Labour’s Autumn conference today burnishing his credentials as one of Westminster’s slickest politicians.
The London mayor gave the coolest reaction when Jeremy Corbyn heaped praised on him at the leader’s speech in Liverpool.
Hailing Labour’s performance in the local elections in May, Corbyn said: “We won back London with a massive win for Sadiq Khan, the first Muslim mayor of a Western capital city.
“My congratulation Sadiq, for that incredible win.”
Broadcasters immediately cut to a blank-faced Khan, who cooly acknowledged the compliment.
He delivered two cheeky winks - one at Corbyn and another straight into the camera.
People took Khan’s lack of applause as a sign he was letting his feelings towards the leader be known.
The ex-Tooting MP had backed rival candidate Owen Smith in the recent Labour leadership election and repeatedly spoke in his own conference address of the need to return the party to power.