Liz Truss’s diva travel demands include ‘absolutely no mayo’ and a bottle of sauvignon blanc

Liz Truss could have earnt herself the title of 'the Mariah Carey of politics' after it emerged that she sends a list of superstar-style demands when travelling.

The short-lived Prime Minister is the subject of new biography Out of the Blue: The inside story of the unexpected rise and rapid fall of Liz Truss, which sheds some eyebrow-raising insight into the workings of the Tory MP.

Among the book’s claims are that by the time she was appointed as Foreign Secretary by the then-PM Boris Johnson in September 2021, the Conservative heavyweight had “become very particular about what she expected from officials on a foreign trip.”

“While not a formal ‘rider’ in the style of a travelling rock star, orders were sent ahead to embassies around the world with details of what she would expect on a visit,” according to co-authors Harry Cole and James Heale.

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These were, the pair claim, as follows:

• "Double espressos served in a flat-white-sized takeaway cup.
• No big-brand coffee, independent producers only, except Pret if in the UK.
• No pre-made or plastic-packed sandwiches — nothing to be served that has not been freshly prepared.
• Bagels or sushi for lunch — absolutely no mayonnaise on anything, ever.
• A bottle of sauvignon blanc provided in the fridge of any overnight accommodation."

Former aide Kirsty Buchanan told the two journalists that Truss “drinks about 42,000 espressos a day or she used to when I worked for her.”

“She would sit there with a massive meatball sub or eat three croissants for breakfast. She would carb up," Buchanan added. "Frankly no woman in her forties should be eating that much and getting away with it."

Other former staffers allegedly told Heale and Cole that an espresso machine was “lugged from department to department” after each Cabinet reshuffle, while another stressed that under no circumstances was Truss to be served fruit for breakfast.

This excerpt from the book, which was published in The Sunday Times, was met with glee and horror in equal measure on Twitter, with a number of users joking that they empathised with the ex-Cabinet minister when it came to her stance on mayonnaise.

Still, it's worth noting that Truss has been shunted to the back benches she might have to tone down her requests. Maybe a Gregg's sausage roll for lunch and a can of Stellar in the fridge – whaddya say, eh, Liz?

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