The wrinkly faced woman he had addressed turned sharply away, quickened her pace and mumbled: "No," as she brushed past him.

This was the first in a series of face to face rejections as the Haltemprice and Howden by-election hopeful tried his luck at getting to know a few constituents in this foreign land up north.

The Chronicle & Echo was invited to join the 58-year-old for an afternoon as he spent a three-day pre-election stint in the area recently governed by shadow home secretary David Davis.

But the task of coming in as a stranger and collecting the necessary 10 nominations from local people in order to enter the political race was enough to make anyone despondent.

He approached two pensioners who were sitting on a bench, waiting for their bus and explained: "What motivates me is the people coming back in body bags from Afghanistan."

But, after a bit of a chat, he came away with no signatures.
Despite the challenges, Mr Fitzpatrick kept a grip on his fighting spirit.

"I knew it would be tough. We are coming into the lion's den and I don't know anyone. I have never been up this way before.

"David Davis said in the paper he was looking for opposition, someone with substance and I will give him a run for his money."

He continued: "I love my country and when I saw those body bags coming back from Afghanistan and Iraq I thought of getting involved.

At least I can look back and say I have given it my best shot."

The shock by-election is not due to be held until July 10, but it has already attracted national headlines, with former Sun editor Kelvin MacKenzie speaking out in the red-top, urging readers to back 'Fitzy'.

For more than 40 years, Northampton market trader Eamonn Fitzpatrick has stood behind his stall, selling fruit and veg to customers and sharing the odd opinion or snippet of worldly wisdom.

But while weighing out the tomatoes and pricing up the cauliflowers, he has harboured a growing political ambition to one day stand up in parliament and have his voice heard.

So when he heard about shadow home secretary David Davis' sudden departure from his Haltemprice and Howden seat in Yorkshire – following a row over Government plans to detain terror suspects for 42 days – Mr Fitzpatrick saw his golden opportunity.

He said: "I'm using my own hard earned cash to do this, and it is hard earned. I work on the market for 12 or 13 hours a day."

He continued: "When this came up it was like winning the lottery, it was an opportunity there for everyone to take."

Each candidate in the forthcoming July 10 by-election has to fork out £500 to put themselves forward, as well as securing 10 signatures from local people.

Mr Fitzpatrick's pre-election campaign to win over the hearts of voters may have been tough on the shoe leather, as he pounded the streets of areas such as Howden and Cottingham, but finally it was successful as he managed to enlist enough support to enter the political contest against Mr Davis.

Mr Fitzpatrick is no stranger to politics, having already competed unsuccessfully against Brian Binley for the Northampton South seat in the 2005 elections.

He said: "I started getting interested about five years ago.

I packed up smoking, I felt good and my self-esteem rose.

I started caring more. The Iraq war came along and that motivated me.

The start of my political ambition was in 2003 when I joined an anti-war march in London.

I loved it so much. I had problems with Tony Blair as I voted for him in 1997 and 2001 and felt let down by him."

So what is next for the ambitious trader?

With £2,500 of his own money to fund the campaign, he has now returned to Northampton to speak to his advisers about how to attract maximum media coverage in the north of England, and to put together some pamphlets.

He would also like to appear on the BBC's Question Time and Andrew Marr programmes.

Mr Fitzpatrick said: "If Gordon Brown wants to offer me a job, I will take it. I'm no pushover."


'It would be nice if someone put the views of normal people across'

We asked Haltemprice and Howden constituents – including some of Mr Fitzpatrick's supporters – for their views on the controversial by-election.

Joanne Webster, aged 35, a secretary from Hull, said: "I think the news of the resignation came as a shock to quite a few people, it was quite out of character for him.

"People here thought he was having a mid-life crisis, but I think it might be a stunt.

"I think it is interesting that different people from different areas and backgrounds are standing for this seat. It says a lot about public opinion; the fact that so many other people are taking a stand.

"I don't think I'll be voting. I'm not really a political animal and I'm quite cynical about a lot of politicians. I'm too cynical."

Sam Sears, aged 67, from Cottingham, retired, said: "I thought it was a pity Davis resigned really.

I could understand him resigning over something like the Iraq war, but this was pathetic. I think 42 days for terror suspects is excellent.

They know what they are doing in hauling these people in, although if you get the odd innocent person it is sad I suppose.

"I think it is great that Eamonn Fitzpatrick has come up. He is a man who has a lot of bottle to take on the establishment and the big issues.

"He is speaking to us and asking what we all think.

It would be nice if someone would put the views of the normal, little people across.

"With David Davis, as far as I know, we have had some leaflets from him, but I can't say I know about him. He has stepped away from his commitment as Conservative number two."

Angela Attwood, aged 57, who runs a bed and breakfast business in Cottingham, said: "It is a question of why David Davis has resigned really.

People see it as an extreme act, but is there another agenda behind the agenda, and more politics going on behind the scenes?"

Julie Anderson, aged 46, a bank worker from Cottingham, said: "I didn't understand the reason why Davis did it, I didn't understand why he had an issue with the 42 days.

"I nominated Eamonn Fitzpatrick because he would be a change and because he asked. Maybe someone from far away might read more into the area and bring something new in.

They might not be so complacent."