Beard Liberation Front
13th December
contact BLF Organiser Keith Flett: @keithbeard.bsky.social
Jeremy Corbyn regains Parliamentary Beard of the Year title for the first time since 2022
The Beard Liberation Front, the informal network of beard wearers, has said that it faced an unprecedented challenge in drawing up its annual shortlist for the Parliamentary Beard of the Year. It is thought there are currently 106 hirsute MPs, a modern record.
The Beard Off Final where 1,200 voted saw Independent MP Jeremy Corbyn shave his colleague Shockat Adam for the coveted title. Corbyn took 58.8% of the vote
It is the first time Corbyn has won the title since 2022 and his eleventh victory overall. He has previously won in 2001,2007,2011, 2012 (shared) 2014,2015, 2016 2018 2021 2022.
The 2024 winner, Ulster Unionist Robin Swann, was knocked out in the preliminary rounds
Several thousand votes were cast across the two preliminary rounds
Votes were cast across social media platforms, Blue Sky, Facebook and Twitter
BLF Organiser Keith Flett said, Jeremy Corbyn has won the Parliamentary Beard of the Year vote more often than any other MP. His eleventh victory underlines that he is one of the most well-known beard wearers in public life. Who said he couldn’t win elections?
The Beard Off Final contenders
Chris Webb (Labour)
Jeremy Corbyn (Independent)
Andy McDonald (Labour)
Shockat Adam (Independent)
Notes for Editors
The General Election on July 4th 2024 saw the departure of a large number of existing MPs- mostly clean shaven Tories- and the arrival of an equally large number of Labour and LibDem MPs. Based on a liberal view of facial hair it is thought that that there are currently 106 MPs in the House of Commons with beards
The shortlist was NOT about the politics of the MPs on the list. It was about whether their activities during the year provided a positive image of the hirsute. Obviously this can be disputed- how positive or otherwise- so the shortlist always goes to an on-line vote.
Kmflett's Blog 
Leave a comment