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Gift arouses suspicious mind of poll Elvis
A by-election in Yorkshire took a turn to the farcical last night after the "Bus Pass Elvis" accused Miss Great Britain of bribing the electorate.
He claimed the beauty queen could be forced to do some "Jailhouse Rock" after donating 1,000 to Howden Football Club – potentially falling foul of strict election rules that ban giving money to groups to induce votes.
Both Dave Bishop, representing the Church of the Militant Elvis Party, and Gemma Garrett, of the Miss Great Britain Party, are contesting the Haltemprice and Howden by-election. Sparked by sitting MP David Davis as a protest against the alleged erosion of civil liberties under the Government, the contest is likely to be remembered as much for its list of colourful characters as for its politics.
Writing to Miss Garrett's election agent, fashion tycoon Robert de Keyser, Mr Bishop said: "Ah strongly suggest you cancel this cheque immediately because mah suspicious mind thinks this Big Hunk of Money, Honey, smells worse than a Mississippi bog rat."
Hitting back, Miss Garrett said she and Mr de Keyser were big football fans. "We are football lovers who want to help as many people as possible to play the game and the donation had nothing whatsoever to do with votes," she said.
Last night Mr Bishop said: "The King may have died in 1977 but Bus Pass Elvis is still around. If this is the way they want to play this election then so be it. I could go round the constituency handing out Bank of Graceland 10 notes, asking people to vote for me.
"If I wasn't such a gentleman, that's what I'd do."
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Weather for Yorkshire
Saturday 11 February 2012
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Temperature: -2 C to 0 C
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