Which of these four politicians has the X factor?

MEET THE EXPERTS

Bridget McCann, presentation skills expert

McCann is an actor who uses the techniques learned on stage and screen over 30 years to train people to improve their communication skills. She co-authored The Civil Advocacy Skills Book with Ronald E Conway to help aspiring court practitioners present themselves with style and authority.

bridgetmccanntrainer.com

Karen Finlayson, style expert

Finlayson is the founder of colourelements.com, which provides digital products and training services to help people find colours that suit them. She also works with the Edinburgh Centre for Carbon Innovation to promote the Lean Wardrobe, a collection of clothes that are smaller in size but a delight to wear.

colourelements.com

Mauge Clayton, hair expert

Clayton, director of Mauge Style, has more than 20 years experience as a stylist and her clients include celebrities and royalty. "Helping people to be their best self never fails to give me a buzz," she says.

maugestyle.co.uk

Mary Adams, fitness expert

Adams is a master callanetics teacher, having introduced the exercise programme from the US more than 15 years ago. "Exercise is important as it keeps the blood flowing and stress levels down," she says. "It helps you perform better."

mary-adams.com

Dr Peter Bull, body language expert

Bull is a specialist in the study of language and communication. He is reader in psychology at the University of York and visiting professor in political communication, University of Antwerp. His principal interest is the microanalysis of interpersonal communication.

drbull.nfshost.com

THE POLITICIANS

Nicola Sturgeon

First Minister and Leader of the Scottish National Party

Presentation

Bridget McCann: "She looks relaxed and physically poised; she speaks clearly and has a good energy. But she should add warmth, rather in the way she has added warmth to her hair and outfits. We like to see the 'real' person in a professional speaker and there is a reserve, which shows itself in her face. Warmth could also come from bringing in some lower notes to her voice.

"Most of her speech comes out in the same rhythm, which could be relentless, though I suspect that comes from the politicians' experience of being constantly interrupted by aggressive interviewers so they don't allow space in their speech.

"Her seriousness means she has gravitas and we, the audience, believe her."

Style

Karen Finlayson: "She looks fantastic. I love that she is now thinking about her appearance and recognises that it has an impact on voters.

"She also recognises that we see colour before we see form and has invested in colourful clothes. She wears deep warm colours, which convey a positive and warm character, and now avoids boxy jackets and is going for a long and lean look with dresses, coats and nude heels.

"Nicola should avoid soft, cool colours that neither have the guts of a leader nor the warmth of a person that we want to get to know.

"It's fantastic that she uses her clothes to promote Scottish designers such as Totty Rocks. She could encourage Scottish jewellers too by using more fashion-forward accessories.

Nicola should ditch the matt, dark red lipstick as it creates a tight-lipped appearance. Warm neutrals with lustre will make the lips look fuller and softer. She should look to Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg for style inspiration, as she looks friendly but also wears the well-tailored clothes of a leader."

Hair

Mauge Clayton: "She has improved her hair but it's still old-fashioned. She needs to add more highlights to make it a bit brighter and also grow her layers slightly longer. The fringe needs to be longer and less broken into, which will compliment her neat and pretty features and open up her face. Bringing the back up off her collar would give her hair more shape and definition and make her look more stylish, sophisticated and elegant."

Physique

Mary Adams: "She walks a lot and that shows in her flat stomach and toned legs. She looks great as she has recently lost weight and is dressing in a way that flatters her figure and hides any areas that need toned."

Body language

Peter Bull: "She appears extremely composed in interviews, even when there's tough and aggressive questioning. She smiles a lot more now, but it seems natural and spontaneous.

"Her hand movements also enhance her look of composure. She gestures only when she speaks, otherwise she keeps her hands still. Her voice is softer - she used to sound more harsh and strident.

"She masters the difficult art of being highly assertive while not appearing aggressive; a politician totally in control both of herself and a highly challenging situation."

Jim Murphy

Leader of the Scottish Labour Party

Presentation

McCann: "He has a nice tone to his voice and his pace is steady and easy to follow. I wonder if his 'man of the people' persona might put some people off, as it could sound self-satisfied, particularly to those living outside the Central Belt. Along with that goes the sing-song pattern of speech, which could be tiring over a long period. He puts too much emphasis on the last word or phrase in each sentence.

"He has a nice smile and seems approachable. Sometimes his eyes appear to be fixed, possibly when he is concentrating, which is a shame as the eyes give life and a sparkle to the face and to speech itself."

Style

Finlayson: "His strong facial features can take a kick of brighter colours, but he sticks to mundane colours which don't work with his energy. He can wear bright colours in small amounts against neutral suits, such as a blue and white checked shirt with a red tie.

"He looks like he's trying to fit into what he thinks a politician should look like, but he looks more genuine and happy when wearing informal clothes. By shaking up his appearance, he could feel more relaxed and make voters look twice. He should look at Matthew McConaughey for colour and style inspiration. It would be great to see him support Scottish suppliers by shopping in Kestin Hare for casual clothes, ESK for tailored cashmere and sporting Harris Tweed for more formal jackets."

Hair

Clayton: "He appears to have dyed his hair. He should go natural like George Clooney. His hair colour at present is too warm. If he's going to dye his hair, he should have colour lightly brushed on to leave some of the grey and look more natural. I'd keep his hair short at the sides and leave some length on top for styling up and away from his face."

Physique

Adams: "He runs at midnight, which is a really unhealthy time to exercise as that's when your body needs to rest. He should incorporate a stretching exercise such as yoga to keep him flexible as running shortens your tendons. The stress is clearly getting to him as he is looking pale and gaunt."

Body language

Bull: "Murphy gestures a great deal, probably too much. In spoken English, words of particular importance may be stressed by changes in vocal pitch. Sometimes, such vocal stresses may be accompanied by hand gestures to give added emphasis. However, Murphy does this all the time, so the gestures lose their impact, they become visual noise. It is easy to be distracted by his hands rather than listening to what he says. It also makes him look as if he is trying too hard. In contrast, Nicola Sturgeon appears poised and in full control.

"The hair dye does make Murphy look younger. His greying hair makes him look rather gaunt, but hair dye is the sort of thing that might go down badly with traditionally-minded male voters."

Alistair Carmichael

Secretary of State for Scotland and Deputy Leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats

Presentation

McCann: "I like his neutral Scottish accent. He sounds quite natural and he is easy to follow. I like his forthright manner and he certainly looks relaxed.

"Listening is an important part of communication, but he has a tendency to step in before the questioner has finished, when a moment's reflection might be useful."

Style

Finlayson: "He should wear jackets with well-padded shoulders and wider collars. A strong shoulder-line immediately conveys strength and leadership and would make him look slimmer. He should look to George Clooney for styling tips such as a charcoal grey shirt with a deep brown jacket."

Hair

Clayton: "His hair is far too short on the sides and does no justice to his fuller face shape. The top needs to be broken into so there can be more movement. His natural highlights work well and product needs to be applied to keep the hair from falling in to his face."

Physique

Adams: "He likes to cook but he's not doing anything physical to keep his weight down. His posture is poor and he's ruddy-faced. Brisk walking for 30 minutes four times a week in the fresh air would be the best exercise for him."

Body language

Bull: "On his appointment as Scottish secretary, Carmichael told how David Cameron and Nick Clegg asked him to put the unionist case for the Scottish referendum 'with a bit of passion', and he was even described by Willie Rennie, leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats, as feisty. In interviews, he certainly gestures repeatedly - sometimes forcefully - even making fists with one or both hands, but that is about the limits of his feisty passion.

"His rather placid demeanour and querulous intonation belie his gestures, making him appear less than convincing. He seems more like an affable ex-hotel manager than a man of passion."

Ruth Davidson

Leader of the Scottish Conservatives

Presentation

McCann: "She looks relaxed and comfortable in one-to-one interviews and smiles more than most politicians, which gives her more warmth than many others. She has a lovely smile which appears genuine, so you feel she might be fun to be with. She is obviously passionate about her convictions, which comes out in her clear and direct speech."

Style

Finlayson: "She has brought an intelligent credibility to the Scottish Tories. The strong contrast in her natural features of dark hair and pale skin easily convey this intellect. But if she wants to appeal to the whole of the electorate I'd advise her to soften her appearance by combining the dark bright colours she often wears - black and crimson - with some rich warm colours, such as burnt orange."

Hair

Clayton: "Davidson has a pretty face but her hairstyle is not feminine enough. She should grow it a bit longer. I'd keep the sides and back short, but softer. I'd give it more of a round graduated feel with a sweeping fringe. I'd put a panel of colour through the longer section to lighten and brighten, as this would give her a more stylish appearance."

Physique

Adams: "Her weight fluctuates wildly. Callanetics, with its small, precise movements, would be great for her, as it would transform her body shape in quite a short time."

Body language

Bull: "She appears confident and relaxed and is a good public speaker. At the Conservative Party conference after the No vote she was among friends who were willing her on, but she seemed surprised by the warm reception. On more than one occasion, she received applause she clearly wasn't expecting."