For those interested in such things, here are the writs for July’s two parliamentary by-elections as they were moved yesterday morning. The description of Tony Blair’s departure from Parliament is a particular highlight.

1 Ealing Southall Writ,—Ordered, That the Speaker do issue his Warrant to the Clerk of the Crown, to make out a new Writ for the electing of a Member to serve in this present Parliament for the Borough Constituency of Ealing Southall in the room of Piara Singh Khabra Esquire, deceased.—(Jacqui Smith.)

2 Sedgefield Writ,—Ordered, That the Speaker do issue his Warrant to the Clerk of the Crown, to make out a new Writ for the electing of a Member to serve in this present Parliament for the County Constituency of Sedgefield in the room of the Right honourable Anthony Charles Lynton Blair, who since his election for the said County Constituency has accepted the Office of Steward or Bailiff of Her Majesty’s Three Chiltern Hundreds of Stoke, Desborough and Burnham, in the county of Buckingham. —(Jacqui Smith.)

These were also presumably Jacqui Smith‘s last parliamentary acts as Chief Whip becoming Home Secretary.