Davis bores home to victory as records tumble

No surprises in Haltemprice and Howden as David Davis sauntered to victory in a by-election story which started all over the front pages and finished as an embarrassing footnote.

On first glance, it's difficult to see who the real winner was in this particular contest. Although Davis picked up a massive absolute majority (74%) and increased his share of the vote by nearly a quarter, the withdrawal of the two main opposition parties and backbiting from his own Tory colleagues diminished any political capital he may have hoped to win. There were few positives for the other candidates to take home either, as they endured a routing at the hands of a politician roundly mocked in the media and Westminster village (though not by most of the public, it must be added) for his 'stunt politics'.

Taking a pragmatic view though, the real winner becomes clear - the Electoral Commission. For a kick off, a record 26 candidates lost their deposits - netting the EC £13,000 straight off the bat. As an additional bonus, turnout was semi-respectable at 34% (almost double the pathetic 19% in a 1999 Leeds Central by-election). Not a bad day's work at the ballot box for them - whether the same can be said of Mr Davis remains to be seen...