There were 130 parliamentary by-elections in the United Kingdom between the 1979 and 2010 general elections. In the list below, the names of the incumbent and victor and their respective parties are given. Where seats changed political party at the election, the result is highlighted: blue for a Conservative gain, red for a Labour gain, yellow for an SNP gain, orange for a Liberal, Social Democratic Party or Liberal Democrat gain and other colours for other gains. Resignations Where the cause of by-election is given as "resignation" or "seeks re-election", this indicates that the incumbent was appointed on his or her own request to an "office of profit under the Crown", either the Steward of the Chiltern Hundreds or the Steward of the Manor of Northstead. Accepting an office of profit under the Crown vacates the member's seat. This process is used because members of the House of Commons are not technically permitted to resign. A member who resigns in this manner may stand for re-election. By-elections 2005–2010 Parliament There were 14 by-elections in the 2005–2010 Parliament. Eight were in seats held by the governing Labour party, three by the Conservatives, one by the Liberal Democrats, one by an independent and one by the speaker. Eight by-elections were won by the incumbent party, including in Haltemprice and Howden where Conservative David Davis resigned to recontest his seat. Meanwhile, Blaenau Gwent was won by a second independent candidate. Labour lost four seats; two to the Conservatives, one to the Liberal Democrats and one to the SNP. The speaker's seat was regained by Labour, the party speaker Michael Martin represented before he took up the position in a previous constituency. Eight by-elections were a result of the death of the incumbent MP - five Labour MPs died, along with one Liberal Democrat, one Conservative and independent MP Peter Law. At the dissolution of Parliament in 2010 there were three vacancies: North West Leicestershire and Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland, caused by the death of their respective Labour members David Taylor and Ashok Kumar; and Strangford caused by the resignation of the DUP's Iris Robinson. With the close proximity of the 2010 general election, by-elections were not held in these seats. Middlesbrough South and East Cleveland and Strangford were held by Tom Blenkinsop and Jim Shannon respectively, but North West Leicestershire was won by Conservative Andrew Bridgen. 2001–2005 Parliament There were six by-elections