Campaigns
On the occasion of its founding, Keith Flett claimed that "Beards are politically progressive. All the great revolutionary socialists had a beard. Stalin had a moustache." The BLF soon took up the cause of beards in British politics. In 1996 the BLF called for a bearded man to be appointed to the Cabinet. According to Independent diarist Eagle Eye, sources from the Labour Party, then in opposition, promised that if they were elected, the cabinet would include the first bearded minister since Baron Passfield in 1929. Upon Labour's victory in the general election one year later, the bearded Robin Cook was duly appointed Foreign Secretary. Since then, however, the BLF has regarded New Labour as obsessed with a clean-shaven image, with some notable exceptions (including David Blunkett and Charles Clarke).
In 1998 the BLF expressed outrage at actor Sean Connery being denied a knighthood, claiming that "normally reliable New Labour sources" had told them that the reason was his beard. Connery himself claims that his knighthood was delayed because of his support for Scottish independence, while others have pointed out his tax exile status and previous remarks that some complained condoned violence against women. Connery was eventually knighted in 2000.
In 2000 the BLF joined the anti-capitalist May Day protests with a "mass beard waggle", decrying the waste of natural resources involved in producing shaving foam and brushes. It also claimed that Robert Burns had a beard, and that contemporary pictures of him which depict the Scottish poet as clean-shaven were a manufactured image designed to make him more popular to the English. The Burns Federation said that there was no evidence to support Flett's claims, and said that he was "talking through his beard".
In 2002 the BLF called for a semi-boycott of the second Harry Potter film Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, citing the continued presence of obviously fake beards worn by actors Robbie Coltrane and Richard Harris. Flett claimed that the Christmas season was the worst time of year for beardist taunts, with the Potter movies adding to the ammunition already given by Father Christmas. Acknowledging that the pressure from beardies' children would be too great to consider an outright boycott, he said that supporters were merely being encouraged to hiss and boo at the screen.
In 2006 the BLF joined the ranks of organisations issuing health advice during the record-breaking summer heatwave by advising beard-wearers to trim their beards, cover them with handkerchiefs and to keep them cool by "placing it in briefly in the freezer department of a fridge or dipping it in a pint of real ale".
The BLF boycotted the 2007 World Beard and Moustache Championships as they claimed the event was over obsessive about the cutting and styling of whiskers rather than the pure cultivation of beards. They were also angered by the Handlebar Club who were hosting the event because of their full club membership ban of those who possess a beard of any description.
Handlebar moustache wearer and satirist Michael "Atters" Attree who was Honorable Chairman and Master of Ceremonies of the 2007 championships (and sits upon the committee of the Handlebar Club) hit back at the BLF claiming that their attitude towards his London-based club's handling of the WBMC was "Nonsense and utter Poppycock." He stated "One's personal grooming is of the utmost importance if one is to be a gentleman. Often it's the beard clubs that have been the WBMC hosts. We are just showing the beardies how to do it properly". Commenting on the Socialist aspirations of the BLF Attree stated "I'd rather be shot by a moustachioed fascist than bored to death by the BLF".
In 2007 during the Labour leadership campaign, the Beard Liberation Front held group discussions and decided to endorse Charles Clarke for the position, although he eventually announced he was not standing and would be backing Gordon Brown.
Organiser Keith Flett was reported as saying:
He has a very recognisable public persona and it is a million miles from the clean shaven man in a suit image that characterises the Blair and Brown years and which both David Cameron and Sir Menzies Campbell copy. We believe Britain is ready for a bearded PM.
In June 2010 Keith Flett announced that the BLF had set the 2010 Beards and Sandals season to run from June 6 to August 31.
Read more about this topic: Beard Liberation Front
Famous quotes containing the word campaigns:
“That food has always been, and will continue to be, the basis for one of our greater snobbisms does not explain the fact that the attitude toward the food choice of others is becoming more and more heatedly exclusive until it may well turn into one of those forms of bigotry against which gallant little committees are constantly planning campaigns in the cause of justice and decency.”
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