Gerry Adams up for beard award
By Tony Grew - 2nd December 2010
Belfast West MP Gerry Adams is among the nominees for Parliamentary Beard Award 2010.
The award is presented anually by the Beard Liberation Front, "an informal network of beard wearers".
The group claims that this year has "one of the biggest ever lists of contenders, underlining that beards are becoming a powerful force in Parliament even with a clean shaven Tory government".
Not sure if that is true, as there are no beards at all in the cabinet and very few in the government as a whole.
The shortlist of those nominated for giving beards "a positive image in the public eye during the year" contains only one minister, deputy Commons leader David Heath - and a very nice beard it is too.
The other are all Labour MPs: Colin Challen, Jeremy Corbyn, Frank Dobson, Paul Flynn, Barry Gardiner and John Spellar.
Last year's winner Tom Watson is ineligible as he has returned to the life of a clean-shaven man and eschewed his former hirsute look.
The winner will be announced on December 21.
Previous winners:
2001 Jeremy Corbyn
2002 Charles Clarke
2003 Robin Cook
2004 Frank Dobson
2005 David Blunkett
2006 George Galloway
2007 Jeremy Corbyn
2008 John Thurso
2009 Tom Watson
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