Kmflett's Blog

Beard Liberation Front

23^rd June

Campaigners send National Beard Week message to Starmer: Change course, grow a beard

The Beard Liberation Front, the informal network of beard wearers, has sent a National Bead Week message to Labour leader Keir Starmer: grow a beard.

The campaigners say that while policies remain important in politics, the image of political leaders in an increasingly visual age has taken on greater significance too.

It is increasingly clear that Starmer’s clean shaven man in a suit image is not cutting through with voters, many of whom prefer the Johnson variant image,

Boris Johnson who has few discernible policies beyond, arguably, handing Government contracts to his friends and allies, has developed a very distinctive image. His unkempt hair and dishevelled appearance is not popular with all but it is easily recognisable.

Keir Starmer by contrast comes across as just another clean shaven middle aged man in a suit, albeit usually with a sharp haircut.

The campaigners say that even now it is not too late for  Starmer to look back to Labour’s first leader and the person he is named after, Keir Hardie, and grow a beard.

BLF Organiser Keith Flett said, a beard would give Keir Starmer some additional gravitas and strengthen his visual presence. Style is a key issue in modern politics and Keir needs to be more authentic and organic. That must mean facial hair.