
John Montagu 4th Earl of Sandwich 1718-1792
Politicians and sandwiches. From Lord Sandwich to Kemi Badenoch
Lord Sandwich is credited with popularising the sandwich. An eighteenth century politician his effigy was burnt outside the Tower of London on one occasion after he was involved in prosecuting John Wilkes for obscene libel. A sort of toasted sandwich
Wilkes became Mayor of London and a latter day fan is Boris Johnson.
William Cobbett in the 1820s favoured bread and cheese but not the cheese sandwich as such.
Raymond Postgate who founded the Good Food Guide saw the then British Rail sandwich as everything that was wrong with British cuisine in the 1950s.
By the 1960s Harold Wilson was talking to trade union leaders in Downing St over beer and sandwiches.
Tony Benn was also a fan of sandwiches (at least his own) in Ministerial meetings
In more recent times some took exception to the way in which Ed Miliband ate a bacon sandwich.
Bringing matters up to date Kemi Badenoch has told the Spectator that sandwiches are not real food while Keir Starmer sees them as a Great British Institution and likes a tuna baguette from Pret.
Anyway as its Christmas surely there must be some politicians out there indulging in a pigs in or under blankets sandwich, even if Ms Badenoch has determined that they are not Tory policy


Leave a Reply