The Parliamentary Party in the Lords elects a Convenor and Deputy Convenor

Word has reached me that, following the elections held earlier today, white smoke has emerged from the Whips' Office in the Lords as follows;

In the contest for the newly created position of Convenor of the Parliamentary Party, John Alderdice defeated Joan Walmsley by fifty-nine votes to ten. The new Deputy Convenor will be Jane Bonham-Carter, who triumphed over Kishwer Falkner by forty-three votes to twenty-four.

Congratulations to John and Jane, commiserations to Joan and Kishwer...