London - A senior British Conservative politician who gave up his parliamentary seat in protest at the government's allegedly anti-liberal terrorism laws comfortably regained his seat in a by-election early Friday.

David Davis, who was spokesman on interior policy for the opposition Conservatives, won the by-election in Haltemprice and Howden, in the northern county of Yorkshire, with a majority and 72 per cent of the vote.

However, both the big rival parties, the Labour Party and the Liberals, did not put up candidates, contending that Davis was engaged in a "stunt."

Davis resigned as a member of parliament (MP) in June and said he would make a stance by fighting for his seat on a civil liberties platform.

Analysts believe that his decision followed a conflict with Conservative Party leader David Cameron, who had allegedly not given sufficient promises to repeal new tougher detention laws should the Conservatives come to power.

The vote, won narrowly by the ruling Labour Party of Prime Minister Gordon Brown, was on legislation to extend the period terror suspects in Britain can be held without trial to 42 days.

Davis insisted Friday that voters had delivered a "stunning message to the government".

He would "fight Gordon Brown's vision of Big Brother Britain tooth and nail, to stop 42 days in its tracks, to prevent the disaster of identity cards before it happens, to protect our personal privacy from being ransacked by the ever-intrusive state."

Davis is set to return to the Westminster parliament on Monday, but he admitted it was unlikely that he would regain his position on the Conservative front bench. (dpa)