To Beard, Or Not To Beard

So Liberal MP Matthew Taylor tells us that he thinks people's political affiliation may be determined by their DNA, and that revelation leaves me with this challenging thought:

Was that him I saw earlier this week sporting a beard?

I am sure it was him wearing a full face of hair, but looking at his constituency website, I can't see any evidence to back up this claim. (Can anyone else confirm that I am not imagining this and that the Taylor beard exists?)

As someone who has moved away from being a clean shaven politician myself to sporting a full beard, I am rather interested in this growing fashion. You will see from the pic above (taken in June 2002) that not only have I grown a beard, but also how much local government has physically aged me. I can only imagine what toll being a national politician takes.

Back in the mid 1990s the fashion was for facial hair to be shaved off politicians and smart suits donned. The term "folletting" arose after Labour MP Barbara Follett was tasked with transforming Blair's Shadow Government - a number of leading lights seemed to ditch their tashes and beards over this period, even if they will probably maintain it had nothing to do with the suggestions of Follett (Geoff Hoon, Peter Mandleson, Stephen Byers and Alan Milburn all spring to mind - as well as Ken Livingstone)*.

Being clean shaven appently suggested not just smoothness to the electorate, but also honesty and trustworthiness. But with politicians on all sides of the political divide now growing beards, perhaps people now think that a beard may suggest sincerity and passion in the place of too-good-to-be-true, slick, overly-styled politicians? I don't know.

I can think of two other examples of MPs growing beards relatively recently when before their career had been spent without one. Firstly Tory MP Crispin Blunt, now fully bearded had been clean shaven right up to the point where he attacked the then Tory leader. In fairness it had been IDS (so he probably deserved it), but it was only a short time after that Blunt had the new image.

And then we have John Thurso** the man formerly with the amazing coiffured moustache befitting a Viscount (as in baronet, not as in chocolate biscuit). He has had a full beard for a few months now, and reminds me somewhat of the late King George V - although his constituency website still has him with just the moustache. So perhaps he's not quite so proud of it?

Whatever happens, do you think the beard is on the rise in modern politics?
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(*If you can find a photo of Geoff Hoon with his moustache, please do send me the link in the comments section. Thanks to Matt for the Alan Milburn link.)
(**PS I realise John Thurso MP is wearing a kilt in this picture - if the Watford Observer could restrain themselves, I'd appreciate it. Thanks.)