2008 Haltemprice and Howden by-election by-election that is completely unnecessary and the Labour Party will not be taking part in what is a political stunt". The United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) did not contest the election. However, one UKIP MEP announced that he would campaign for David Davis if he also addressed issues related to the European Union during his campaign. The British National Party announced that it would support Davis and not run. The editor of "The Sun" newspaper, Rebekah Wade and its proprietor Rupert Murdoch requested in the immediate days following Davis's decision that columnist Kelvin MacKenzie stand against Davis for election. MacKenzie
2008 Haltemprice and Howden by-election remarked "I may be a loony but I'm not mad enough to want dangerous people to be walking the streets" She has previously stood in Sunderland South in the 2001 and 2005 general elections. The Socialist Equality Party stood Chris Talbot as its candidate on a programme of "genuine" socialism with a particular emphasis on a defence of "democratic rights". He is a lecturer at the University of Huddersfield and contested South Wales Central in the 2007 National Assembly for Wales election. David Icke said he would stand for election under the slogan "Big Brother - the "Big" Picture", but