2008 Haltemprice and Howden by-election would not take the weight of all the candidates. George Hargreaves stood for the Christian Party and is leader of that party. The party website said "he is asking the Haltemprice and Howden electorate to use their vote to demand a referendum on the European Union, which he believes is the greatest threat to our civil liberties". David Bishop was the candidate for the Church of the Militant Elvis Party. He previously stood for this party in Erewash in the United Kingdom general election, 2005 and in Brentwood and Ongar in 2001. David Davis, MP for the constituency and its
2008 Haltemprice and Howden by-election unusual circumstances, the election broke several records, including the most candidates running in a UK parliamentary by-election — 26, the largest number of independents, the largest number of people losing their deposits and the best by-election results up to that point for the Green Party and English Democrats. While single issue by-elections such as this one were not unprecedented, they were rare in modern political times. As per election law, other candidates were free to stand on their chosen manifesto and not necessarily obliged to oppose or support Davis. Davis's use of a by-election in this way attracted both praise