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 predecessor seat of Boothferry. The Conservative position at the time of Davis's resignation aligned with Davis in opposing the 42-day extension vote, although Davis's decision to resign was characterised as personal and not a shadow cabinet decision, by Conservative leader David Cameron. The by-election followed a heavy defeat for Labour in the Crewe and Nantwich by-election in May 2008, who were previously the third party in this seat behind the second placed Liberal Democrats. The by-election also follows a previously failed attempt by the Liberal Democrats to target Davis as a high-profile seat in a 'decapitation' strategy against the Conservatives