Commons plaque dedicated to cashier who ran Julia’s tearoom before dying with Covid

The family of a member of Parliament’s catering team, who died from Covid weeks after beating cancer, have spoken of the “honour” that her memory will live on in the MPs’ tea room.

Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle has unveiled a plaque to Julia Clifford, 54, who worked in Parliament for 37 years, saying “we have lost one of our dearest friends”.

Mother-of-two Julia, an assistant cashier, died in February after contracting Covid, just weeks after being declared cancer free.

Her husband John said her biggest upset, apart from losing her hair, “was not being able to return to the Commons”.

She received more than 200 letters and cards from MPs including two handwritten notes from Boris Johnson.