2008 Haltemprice and Howden by-election would extend the legal detention of terror suspects without charge to a maximum of 42 days. Explaining his actions, Davis stated he intended to spark a wider public debate about the perceived erosion of civil liberties by the then Labour government, which in the following week was launched as the 'David Davis for Freedom campaign'. Culture Secretary Andy Burnham called on Davis to fund the cost of the by-election to the taxpayer, estimated at £80,000, from his own pocket. Davis had held the seat as a Conservative since its creation in 1997, having previously been MP since 1987 for the
Haltemprice (UK Parliament constituency) Haltemprice (UK Parliament constituency) Haltemprice (which from 1950-1955 was officially known as Kingston upon Hull, Haltemprice) was a constituency in the East Riding of Yorkshire, a traditional sub-division of the historic county of Yorkshire. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. It was created for the 1950 general election, and abolished for the 1983 general election. It was the constituency of the fictional ultra-right Tory MP, Alan B'Stard, in "The New Statesman", a TV series which began after the actual constituency was abolished in 1983. 1950-1955: The Urban District