A freelance hack and editor of the political blog torybear.com

"TB's mixture of gonzo and News of the World sensationalism is popcorn worthy" - Liberal Youth

"The heroic Tory Bear" - Daniel Hannan MEP

"The love child of Boris Johnson and Guido Fawkes" - Iain Dale 

"A well connected Conservative" - Derek Draper

"More Winnie than Grizzly." - Will Straw

The adventures of a small, blue, rather right-wing teddy bear were the brainchild of Harry Cole, 23, who set up Tory Bear in May 2008 when he was still at Edinburgh University. While at Edinburgh he waded somewhat controversially into student politics and was Vice President of the Scottish Conservative Future, the northern branch of Britain's largest political youth movement.

Initially focusing on the inner politics and gossip from Conservative Future, the blog has since then expanded from holding CF to account, to a broader look at politics and especially Westminster gossip and rumour. Never one to hold his punches, TB has been the curse of Liberal Youth and various Labour figures that have strayed into his sights. Lots of people don't like him, especially Derek Draper.

Depending on who you believe the blog is ranked as the seventh or the eleventh most influential political blog in the UK, and Tory Bear was voted the fifth best Conservative blogger. But at the end of the day it's the traffic that counts - torybear.com gets over 100,000 visits a month.

Harry is somewhat in limbo at the moment. Having left university he is currently the media director of the Sunlight Centre for Open Politics, a transparency group he helped set up, who are in the process of a private prosecution of Jacqui Smith over her expenses. He freelances and sometimes his work is printed onto bits of dead tree. He also does the odd bit of consultancy on the side. More about that can be found by clicking the link on the left. On this site you will find some slightly more serious writing than the scurrilous and highly partisan Tory Bear.

When he grows up he wants to be the mutant offspring of Matt Drudge and Piers Morgan.