Before JD Vance, did Blair ban beards?
With Trump adopting hirsute JD Vance as his Presidential running mate this week, the question has been raised with the Beard Liberation Front as to whether Tony Blair banned beards.
Blair certainly never wore a beard but he was not always successful despite winning three elections and it might be noted that David Blunkett, Robin Cook and Frank Dobson did end up serving in an actual Blair Cabinet.
However when Frank Dobson stood against Ken Livingstone for the London Mayoral election in 2000 there were rumours that New Labour had trialled pictures of a clean shaven Dobbo with electors to see if that would increase votes.
Whether this was really true or a piece of Mandelsonian spin (who shaved off his then trademark moustache) remains unclear.
However a subsequent Labour by-election candidate with a beard did tell me that the same process had been tried with him. He kept the beard but didn’t win the election, as did Dobson.
Keir Starmer’s father was a long time beard wearers but as with Blair, Starmer has never knowingly worn a beard, despite or perhaps because of a long time relationship with hair dressers.
Starmer has yet to ban beards however, as Jonathan Reynolds currently sits in the Cabinet
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