2008 Haltemprice and Howden by-election stated ""The Sun" is very, very hostile to David Davis because of his 28 day stance and "The Sun" has always been very up for 42 days and perhaps even 420 days." In its editorial "The Sun" described Davis as deranged. MacKenzie's candidature was soon considered uncertain following an apparently off-the-cuff disparaging remark, when MacKenzie described the nearby city of Kingston upon Hull as "shocking, simply shocking". MacKenzie confirmed on 19 June 2008 that he would not be standing, primarily due to having no financial backing. He urged people to vote instead for Eamonn Fitzpatrick. David Davis has held the
1946 Combined English Universities by-election 1946 Combined English Universities by-election The Combined English Universities by-election, 1946 was a parliamentary by-election held on 18 March 1946 for the British House of Commons constituency of Combined English Universities. There was no Labour Party candidate, which did not occur again in a Great Britain by-election in the UK until the Haltemprice and Howden by-election, 2008. It was the penultimate election in a university constituency to the British Parliament and the final one to occur in England, with all university constituencies abolished in 1950. The seat had become vacant when the constituency's Independent Member of Parliament (MP), Eleanor Rathbone,