John Healey has big mo. Or rather, he is growing a big mo. For charity, you understand.
There was a time when beards were mandatory in the party. Then, they became too synonymous with old Labour. Facial hair had to go. But like our commitment to unilateralism, not overnight. It required a staged shift of position.
The new Labour moustache was born. Mandelson. Hoon. Neither fresh faced, nor hirsute. There’s was a third way.
Then came Blair. Initially he was careful to respect the party’s traditions. “We should never, ever be ashamed of our moustaches”, he told Labour conference. In terms.
Other’s knew better. There was never an edict as such. Just a whisper here. A briefing there. Facial hair was out. It didn’t play with the focus groups. Moustaches were not a part of the project.
Now we enter a new era. The new politics. Who will be first to embrace the new freedom? Cast of the shackles of conformity?
John Healey, that’s who. His plan to grow a top lip draft excluder was reported earlier this month by Paul Waugh. But John is now well on the way to joining the famous moustached ranks of the Labour movement. “I want to do my bit to help raise awareness of prostate cancer while also raising funds for the Prostate Cancer Charity. If I’m being honest, I hate the idea of growing a moustache. But then again, I can’t exactly shave my head.”
Give it up for the big hearted shadow minister. Neil, we’ve got our tache’s back.
You can sponsor John here