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David Davis by-election 'will cost taxpayers £200,000'

by Dave Keating | July 9, 2008 at 03:00 am | 87 views | add comment | 0 recommendations

David Davis, the Tory PM who resigned his seat in protest over teh 42-day detention issue, is now standing in a reelection bid effectively unopposed. It has now been revealed that that by-election will cost the taxpayers 200,000 pounds. This is leading many to question whether Davis's actions were irresponsible.

Mr Davis is set to be returned to the Commons in the Haltemprice and Howden by-election tomorrow. He held the seat by 5,116 votes in 2005, and bookmakers are certain he will win again this time.

Mr Davis resigned the seat last month in order to mount a symbolic protest at what he says is Labour's repeated erosions of British civil liberties.

But his hopes of directly challenging the Government in the seat were dashed when the Labour Party decided not to stand a candidate. The Liberal Democrats have also stayed out of the fight, saying they largely agree with Mr Davis.