By the late 1990s, the ear of Thatcherism was well and truly on the wane and, for the first time in years, it seemed like Labour might get a look in on the political stage. Up-and-coming Labour Party leader Tony Blair joined forces with his political spin doctors and began a concerted battle against the beard, with market researchers holding forums where voters were shown images of candidates with and without beards in an attempt to work out which would be more likely to lead ‘New Labour’ to that landslide victory. The tide seemed to be turning firmly in favour of the hair-free face.
Moustaches, Whiskers & Beards by Lucinda Hawksley, National Portrait Gallery