Ex-Tory MP Mark Field had an 18-month fling with Truss in the early 2000s, he has revealed in a book.
Both were married at the time, Truss to current husband Hugh O'Leary and Field to his first wife, Michele.
Field said his time with Truss was "exhilarating" but admits he doubted her ability to lead the country when she took over as PM in September 2022.
He said: "Unfortunately, there was startlingly little to suggest that Liz had either the powers of inspirational leadership or the capacity to focus on the implementation of her policies." He continued: "Her grand plan to cut taxes and slash public expenditure flew in the face of the fact that the UK's population is fast getting older and more dependent on the state.
"Her mantra of 'growth, growth, growth' was never backed up by evidence of how she would implement it.
image [https://cdn.magzter.com/1583517504/1742174184/articles/aHH7kCbK43Os2h5pQXsys/4112746241.jpg]
"Late in August 2022, I had exchanged emails with an old friend in New York. He was incredulous that she was now only a matter of days away from becoming prime minister.
"My reply, 'The likeliest scenario is that Liz's tenure will be calamitous. I reckon it is by no means impossible that we shall have to go through the whole process of choosing a new leader again within six months.
"Six months? As it turned out, I was wildly over-optimistic."
In fact, Truss lasted just 49 days, making her the shortest-serving PM in Bri...