Prime Minister Boris Johnson has appointed a former Mirror Chicken journalist as his director of communications.
Ex-Mirror reporter Lee Cain mocked Tories while wearing the left-leaning tabloid’s notorious costume during the 2010 general election campaign.
His move to Downing Street as Johnson’s top spinner was revealed today by the Mirror.
The paper claimed the 38-year-old was once pictured in the chicken costume being led away from ex-Prime Minister David Cameron by police.
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Cain has already worked in a number of political positions since leaving Fleet Street, serving as head of broadcast for the Vote Leave campaign and as chief spokesperson for the Foreign Office under Boris Johnson.
He was also on the communications team of the Johnson’s leadership campaign.
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One of Cain’s former Mirror colleagues told the newspaper Cain had been a “great Mirror Chicken”, adding: “He attacked the role with real zeal and a great passion.
“The newsdesk were so impressed with his work he was used on a number of occasions. I vividly remember him coming in to the newsroom and prancing around still in his full outfit like a rooster.”
Evening Standard editor and former Chancellor George Osborne tweeted: “Just when I thought British politics couldn’t get any weirder I discover that Boris Johnson’s new Director of Communications used to chase me around dressed as a giant chicken – although he never caught me…”
Cain was a reporter on the Gloucester Citizen, also owned by Reach, between 2006 and 2008 before joining the Mirror.
He also spent time as a staff journalist at South West News Service, The Sun and the Mail on Sunday, according to Gloucestershire Live.
The ex-reporter for the historically Labour-backing Mirror will now support a Tory Prime Minister in Number 10 as he seeks to take Britain out of the European Union by 31 October.
Picture: Johnny Green/PA Wire
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