Harry Cole: The Sun’s Political Editor Who Went From Blogger to Broadcaster

If you follow British politics even casually, chances are you’ve come across Harry Cole. Over the last decade or so, he’s built a reputation as one of the sharpest political reporters in the UK, breaking stories that have rattled Downing Street and, more recently, taking his talents across the Atlantic. Let’s take a friendly, no-nonsense look at who he is, what he’s done, and why his name keeps popping up in political headlines.

Who Is Harry Cole?

Harry Cole is a British journalist born on 27 April 1986. He grew up in Kent, attending Sevenoaks School and Tonbridge School, before heading to the University of Edinburgh, where he studied Anthropology and Economic History and graduated with first-class honors. Even at university, his political interests were obvious — he was involved with the Edinburgh University Conservative Association and Scottish Conservative Future, giving an early hint of the Westminster-watching career that was to come.

From Student Blogger to Fleet Street Regular

Before he was a household name in political circles, Harry Cole cut his teeth writing the ToryBear blog, which focused on Conservative student politics. That eventually led him to Guido Fawkes, the influential political gossip site, where he worked alongside Paul Staines and helped shape a lot of the behind-the-scenes Westminster chatter that made headlines. During this period, he also contributed to The Spectator as a contributing editor, giving him a foot in both the digital and print worlds of political commentary.

In 2015, Cole left Guido Fawkes to become Westminster Correspondent for The Sun, and from there his career only gathered pace.

Harry Cole and The Sun

This is probably the chapter most people associate with him. After a stint as deputy political editor at The Mail on Sunday from 2018, Harry Cole returned to The Sun in August 2020, stepping into the political editor role previously held by Tom Newton Dunn. It was, by most accounts, the high point of his UK-based career.

As political editor of the Sun, Cole didn’t just report on Westminster — he shaped the conversation. His scoops were the kind that dominated front pages and forced politicians to respond publicly, often within hours of publication.

The Scoops That Made Headlines

A few stories stand out in Harry Cole’s career at The Sun:

• The Matt Hancock story (2021): Cole broke the news that then-Health Secretary Matt Hancock had breached his own COVID-19 guidance. The story dominated the news cycle for days and ultimately led to Hancock’s resignation. It also earned Cole the Scoop of the Year award at the British Journalism Awards.
• The 2022 mini-Budget fallout: When Liz Truss and Kwasi Kwarteng’s tax U-turn started to unravel, it was Cole’s reporting that helped the public — and reportedly even some senior government figures — understand just how badly things were going. Days later, Truss resigned as Prime Minister.

These stories cemented his position as one of the most influential political reporters of his generation, and by 2023, New Statesman had ranked him among the UK’s most influential right-of-centre figures.

Out of the Blue: Harry Cole, the Author

Cole isn’t just a reporter — he’s also a published author. In 2022, he co-authored Out of the Blue, a book examining Liz Truss’s meteoric rise and equally fast fall from power. The book was well received, picking up The Sunday Times Political Book of the Year award and giving readers an inside look at one of the most chaotic periods in recent British political history.

Harry Cole Saves the West: The Next Chapter

In 2025, Harry Cole made a big career shift, moving to Washington, D.C. to become Editor-at-Large of The Sun’s US edition. This new role expanded his reach well beyond UK politics. Alongside a weekly Saturday column and a monthly opinion piece for the New York Post, Cole also became a regular commentator on Fox News.

One of the more eye-catching parts of this new chapter is his evening political show, produced by Red Seat Ventures and broadcast on YouTube and TalkTV, often promoted under the tagline “Harry Cole Saves the West.” The show blends sharp political commentary with the kind of accessible, conversational style that made him popular with UK audiences, now aimed at a transatlantic crowd following US and global politics.

Harry Cole on Twitter

Like most political journalists of his generation, Harry Cole has a strong presence on Twitter (now X), where he regularly shares breaking political news, commentary, and behind-the-scenes takes on Westminster and Washington alike. For anyone wanting to follow his reporting in real time, his social media accounts are typically the fastest way to catch his latest scoops and on-air appearances.

Harry Cole’s Wife: Is He Married?

This is one of the most searched questions about him, so let’s address it directly. Based on publicly available information, Harry Cole does not appear to be married, and he’s generally kept his personal and romantic life out of the public eye. Unlike his professional career, which is well documented through his bylines, TV appearances, and awards, details about his private life are notably sparse — likely by his own choice, given how much scrutiny public figures in political journalism tend to face.

Harry Cole and Carrie Symonds: Setting the Record Straight

Here’s where a bit of clarification is genuinely useful, because search results and social chatter around this topic can be misleading. Harry Cole was previously in a relationship with Carrie Symonds before her marriage to former Prime Minister Boris Johnson. Some search queries frame this as “Carrie Symonds’ husband, Harry Cole,” but that’s not accurate — Carrie Symonds, now known as Carrie Johnson, is married to Boris Johnson, not Harry Cole.

The two were reportedly a couple years before Carrie’s relationship with Johnson became public, and it’s an anecdote that occasionally resurfaces in profiles of both Cole and Johnson. But to be clear: there’s no record of Harry Cole and Carrie Symonds ever having married one another. Any keyword suggesting otherwise reflects a common mix-up rather than a documented fact.

Awards and Recognition

Over the years, Harry Cole has picked up some notable recognition for his work, including:

• British Journalism Award – Scoop of the Year (2021), for his Matt Hancock story
• Sunday Times Political Book of the Year (2022), for Out of the Blue
• A spot among the UK’s most influential right-of-centre voices, according to New Statesman (2023)

Why Harry Cole Still Matters

What makes Harry Cole an interesting figure to follow isn’t just the scoops — it’s the trajectory. He’s gone from a student blogger writing about Conservative politics to a tabloid political editor breaking stories that toppled a Prime Minister, and now to an international broadcaster covering US politics for an American audience. Few political journalists manage that kind of range, and it’s part of why his name continues to generate so much interest, whether people are searching for his latest story, his social media takes, or just trying to separate fact from rumor about his personal life.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Harry Cole still the political editor of The Sun?

No — as of 2025, he transitioned to the role of Editor-at-Large for The Sun’s US edition, based in Washington, D.C.

Did Harry Cole marry Carrie Symonds?

No. Carrie Symonds (now Carrie Johnson) was previously Harry Cole’s girlfriend, but she is married to Boris Johnson, not Harry Cole.

What is Harry Cole known for?

He’s best known for breaking major UK political stories, including the Matt Hancock scandal and the fallout from Liz Truss’s mini-budget, as well as co-authoring Out of the Blue.

Where can I follow Harry Cole’s work?

His columns run in The Sun’s US edition and the New York Post, and he’s active on Twitter/X, plus his evening political show on YouTube and TalkTV.

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