While some hail Mr Cummings as “genius” political strategic, responsible for the success of the Leave campaign in the 2016 EU referendum, other commentators are less complimentary. Arron Banks, founder of rival Brexit campaign Leave.EU, was himself underwhelmed by Mr Cummings when they made contact in 2015. They were each heading up Leave campaigns, but had very different ideas of how they should be run.

In his 2016 book ‘The Bad Boys of Brexit’, Mr Banks explained how the pair of them discussed the upcoming campaigns over email.

Reflecting on this correspondence, Mr Banks wrote for his August 23, 2015, entry: “I thought he was supposed to be some kind of mad genius.

“So far, not seen any evidence of madness or genius. He’s just boring.

“Am sure he thinks Wiggy and I are just businessmen with more money than sense.

“Told him I’m happy to be underestimated.”

Mr Banks is a staunch Brexiteer, previously a Ukip donor, while ‘Wiggy’ referred Andy Wigmore, a business associate of Mr Banks who was in charge of communications for his campaign.

Mr Cummings apparently said in one email: “I do not see things in antagonistic terms.”

To Mr Banks, this was a ridiculous statement, and meant he could not be taken seriously.

He wrote: “I may not know much about Westminster, but I do know that when he worked for Michael Gove (who was Education Secretary at the time) he made a career out of seeing everything in antagonistic terms. What a shyster.”

Mr Cummings was a special adviser to Mr Gove from 2007 to 2014, before taking up the role of Vote Leave campaign director 2015-16, the official Out campaign for the EU referendum.

He is credited for the slogan ‘Take Back Control’ and devising the infamous ‘£350m-a-week for the NHS’ bus slogan.

After Mr Johnson succeeded Theresa May as Prime Minister in July 2019, he appointed Mr Cummings to the role of special adviser to the Government.

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In just a couple of months, he has been at the centre of plenty of political ruckus.

For example, he reportedly sacked Sonia Khan, special adviser to Sajid Javid, Chancellor of the Exchequer, without Mr Javid’s knowledge.

Ms Khan was escorted from No 10 Downing Street by a police officer after being accused of misleading Mr Cummings over her contact with individuals close to the former Chancellor Philip Hammond.

Mr Cummings also reportedly accosted Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn in Portcullis House in westminster last week.

One witness claimed the special adviser taunted Mr Corbyn over his refusal to agree to a snap election, saying: “Come on Jeremy, let’s do this election, don’t be scared.”

According to this witness, Mr Corbyn was “bundled away by horrified aides”.

Meanwhile, Labour MP Cat Smith gave her account of the bizarre incident, claiming that Mr Cummings “stunk of booze”.

She said on Twitter: “As one of several Shadow Cabinet members stood right next to Jeremy Corbyn (who was on the phone at the time) I just thought there was some loud bloke who stunk of booze yelling at us.”

There was even an argument over Mr Cummings’ Westminster security pass, after he was previously found in contempt of Parliament.

The Vote Leave supremo failed to appear before the digital, culture, media and sport committee’s inquiry into fake news in March.

MPs on the committee found that his refusal to give oral evidence constituted a significant interference in the work of the inquiry.

Mr Cummings is therefore a divisive figure, yet remains a key part of Mr Johnson’s team as he attempts to negotiate the UK’s exit from the EU.

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