Boris Johnson’s spin doctor dressed up as chicken to taunt Tories

‘He attacked the role with real zeal,’ says former colleague at The Daily Mirror

Boris Johnson’s new head of communications used to dress up as a chicken and harass Tory politicians on the street, his former employer has revealed.

Lee Cain, appointed the prime minister’s spin doctor, was previously a reporter at The Daily Mirror and was sent out in a chicken costume to taunt David Cameron during the 2010 general election campaign.

“Lee was a great Mirror Chicken,” said one of the 38-year-old’s former colleagues. “He attacked the role with real zeal and great passion.”

“I vividly remember him coming to the newsroom and prancing around still in his full outfit like a rooster. It’s hard to believe a man with his past of taunting the cowardly Tories is now such a powerful figure inside No 10.”

Mr Cain, who was led away by police as he heckled Mr Cameron and his wife Samantha on one occasion, was said to have “eagerly agreed” to wear the costume.

The Mirror’s stunt was aimed at goading the then-prime minister for failing to commit to a series of TV debates that eventually took place before the May 2010 vote.

After leaving the Labour-supporting paper, the man nicknamed “Caino” by colleagues went on to work for the Vote Leave organisation.

He was the head of broadcast for the successful 2016 referendum campaign, before finding PR roles at the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and briefly at No 10 under Theresa May.

Lee Cain dressed up as a chicken for 2010 general election campaign (PA Archive/PA Images)

In 2017 he left Downing Street to join Mr Johnson as his spokesman at the Foreign Office.

In a weekend report, Mr Cain was identified as the “evil genius” who put Leave campaign mastermind Dominic Cummings forward to become the prime minister’s senior adviser.

The former journalist and fancy dress prankster now has the job of remaining unruffled as he crafts the government’s message for the media.