Politics Bad reviews Liz Truss

There’s not enough aloe vera in the world to soothe the burns from the Telegraph’s excoriating Liz Truss book review – 17 insults to add to the injury

Oonagh Keating. Updated October 27th, 2026

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Just when you thought Liz Truss and her conspiracy theories about ‘the Establishment’ banding together to stop her being successful were nicely boxed off in her unsuccessful podcast, or the right-wing conferences she likes to attend, she’s only gone and written a book.

Even that came with a side order of batshittery.

Marcia Brady from the Brady Bunch says 'Sure, Jan' in a sceptical way.

Weirdly*, it didn’t exactly make people want to rush out and buy it.

*sarcasm

It seems that vibe was well and truly justified. Simon Heffer of the Telegraph took the hit for the rest of us and read the thing, which at 99 pages is – like her tenure in Downing Street was – mercifully short.

With zero stars and some scathing quotes, it may just be the most negative review we’ve ever seen.

Here are a couple of teasers.

‘(I)n Bank Job, her preposterous book-length attempt to justify the policy – an attempt reminiscent of the worst sort of saloon-bar bore, ranting in a corner while other patrons realise it’s time to go home – Truss never concedes she was remotely at fault.’

‘Of all the books I have ever reviewed that purported to offer a serious thesis, this is without question the most deranged. If you are seeking a Christmas present for someone you really don’t like, give them a copy.’

We seldom use the word ‘yikes’, because we’re not cartoon characters hunting fake ghosts with a talking dog – but yikes!

People were very much here for it. Let’s dive in.

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