Mark Field, now 60, served as an MP from 2001 to 2019. He married Michele, a stockbroker, in 1994, but cracks began to appear in their marriage around 2002 — just as Liz Truss entered his life.
He first met Truss at the Conservative Party Conference in Bournemouth in October 2002. At the time, Truss was married to Hugh O’Leary, whom she had wed in 2000. Field described how Truss “slid over” to join him and a friend for a chat.
Truss wasn’t an MP yet but was clearly ambitious. After the conference, she emailed Field for advice on selection interviews, which led to regular meetings over coffee and lunch.
“Liz was a bundle of energy, obsessed with politics,” Field recalled. “She could flip from wide-eyed and eager to stubborn and belligerent in seconds. It was exhausting and infuriating — but also intoxicating.”
From Friendship to Affair
By late 2003, their connection had deepened into something more. Field admitted that despite both being married, the excitement and secrecy of the affair made it hard to resist.
“There’s something unreal about an affair. You don’t have to deal with the everyday stuff — no clearing the table or watching telly together. Just the thrill of stolen moments.”
However, Truss would occasionally try to cool things off, weighed down by guilt and doubt. But within a week, she’d return, and the cycle would start again.
By 2005, the relationship was running out of steam. Truss was busy with a general election campaign in Calder Valley, which she lost. They drifted apart, and in September, Truss told Field she was staying with her husband.
“I knew then my marriage was over. Liz’s marriage, however, endured.”
Truss’s Rise — and Fall
Field also reflected on Truss’s rapid political rise — and her catastrophic fall as Prime Minister. He noted her fierce ambition and resilience but said her leadership flaws were evident from the start.
“She wiped the floor with Rishi Sunak because she understood the party membership better than anyone. But she had no plan beyond ‘growth, growth, growth.’”
Field described her ministerial career as “all talk, no delivery.” Despite holding various Cabinet roles, she was regularly tipped for the sack — yet somehow survived.
“When she finally reached Number 10, she was determined to do things her way. But there was little evidence she could inspire or implement her plans.”
Her push for tax cuts and spending cuts clashed with the reality of an ageing population dependent on state support. The result? Political chaos and the shortest tenure of any British Prime Minister.
No Regrets, Just Reflection
Field admitted the affair had been doomed from the start but said he harbours no bitterness towards Truss.
“Liz had the ambition and intelligence to reach the top. But being a good leader requires more than that.”
Their affair may have ended years ago — but the impact on both their lives, and British politics, lingers.
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