Seven-time winner of the parliamentary beard of the year title Jeremy Corbyn has been thrown out of this year's competition.

After scooping the crown again in 2016 organisers at the Beard Liberation Front decided he'd won enough and have left him off this year's shortlist.

The award is given out to the politician judged to have 'made the most hirsute impact' in the last 12 months rather than to the most magnificent beard. The 2017 shortlist includes long term beard wearers John Spellar and Barry Gardiner as well as more recent hairy faced converts such as Nadhim Zahawi. Currently crossbench peer Lord Hylton, who sports a long white Santa style beard, is competing at the top of the poll with Labour backbencher Ian Murray who only stopped shaving in the summer.

Corbyn's success in the contest is at least in part due to him being one of only a very small group of bearded MPs before facial hair became fashionable.

Organiser Keith Flett said: "More parliamentarians than ever have brexited shaving this year so we expect the poll to be a close shave."

However it's not all bad news for Corbyn on the beard award front. He is shortlisted for the more prestigious overall beard of the year award which he has won only once before in 2001. In that vote he's up against Prince Harry, broadcaster James O'Brien and current poll leader cricketer Moeen Ali.