David Floyd and Nicole Bowen report from the Barnet Council election count at the RAF Museum
The people have spoken. Now it’s time to find out what they’ve said.
Barnet Post is at the local election count at the RAF Museum in Colindale.
On the count floor, none of the candidates we’ve spoken to has so far admitted to being confident however current council leader Barry Rawlings did described himself as “hopeful”.
The borough’s wards are being counted in two blocks with the first set declarations predicted to begin soon.
This page will be updated over the course of the day.
12.30pm – Recount in Whetstone
We’re getting close to the first announcement here at the RAF Museum and the breaking news is we have a recount in Whetstone where Labour was hoping to hold off the Conservatives.
Barnet Post understands that there is a recount underway, it is likely that Labour has lost at least one of its seats by a clear margin. The Conservatives have requested a recount as they are still hopeful of winning two seats but, as things stand, we’re heading for a split ward with one Labour and one Conservative councillor.
12.50pm- Word on the floor: Reform gloomy, Greens hopeful
The word on the count floor from the breakthrough parties is that Reform UK currently seem gloomier than the Greens. Reform sources are downbeat about current Hendon councillor and Barnet chairman Mark Shooter’s chances of winning in West Hendon.
The Greens are hopeful that they could take one or more seats in their main target ward in Woodhouse but sources say its very close.
1pm – Leader faces Green challenge in Friern Barnet
There are whispers on the count floor that council leader Barry Rawlings is facing a tough situation in Friern Barnet ward, where he is being challenged by the Greens including former Labour councillor Linda Lusingu.
Judging roughly from the ballot piles Labour is ahead in terms of ballots where voters have picked all candidates from the same party but there are also lots of ‘mixed ballots’ where voters have chosen candidates from different parties.
Could the Greens have sneaked a seat?
1.20pm RESULT – Conservatives hold Edgwarebury
First result in. Conservatives hold on to the two seats in Edgwarebury.
Two seats down. 61 to go.
The Conservatives seemed very pleased with their margin of victory here.
For comparison, this is the result from the last election in 2022.
So it’s not surprising the Conservatives are happy.
It’s definitely too early to make full predictions but the Tories will now be very hopeful that they could take the council if they can replicate this performance in other words.
2pm – RESULTS – Green take first seat in split ward / Labour holds West Hendon / Tories hold Golders Green
The Green Party has take its first seat on Barnet Council. Woodhouse is a split ward with Charli Thompson winning for the Greens and Anne Hutton holding on for Labour.
The Greens have come from nowhere in 2022 to take one seat here and nearly take another but this was their main target ward and sources are not sure about their chances of adding more councillors.
In West Hendon, Labour has held on to all three seats but with a reduced vote compared to 2022.
In Golders Green, Conservative leader Peter Zinkin has held his seat in this Tory ward but even compared to their strong result in 2022, the Tory vote is up.
While it is still far too soon to call, it’s increasingly looking like the Conservatives could retake the council today.
Labour sources are downbeat.
2.35pm RESULT – Labour hold Friern Barnet
There’s been a Green surge in Friern Barnet ward but Labour has narrowly held on to all three seats. This means current council leader Barry Rawlings has kept his seat and Green councillor Linda Lusingu, who defected from Labour, has lost her seat.
2.45pm – Current situation – Too close to call
While Labour sources had seemed gloomy, Conservatives sources also seem gloomy.
The wards to watch are Whetstone (now on its third recount), current split ward Barnet Vale and Labour/Tory marginals Brunswick Park and East Barnet.
As things stand, though, the result is now leaning towards a narrow Labour majority or – if the Greens can pick up some other seats – potentially no overall control.
2.55pm RESULT – Conservatives hold Hendon
The Conservatives have held Hendon ward.
This is not a surprise result but interested to note the lack of breakthrough from Reform UK here.
3.35pm RESULT – Conservatives hold Edgware and take Childs Hill from Labour
The Conservatives have held their seats in Edgware and taken all three Labour seats in Childs Hill.
While the mood about an hour ago was that Labour hold (of the council) seemed most likely, Conservatives seemed jubilant after the result in Childs Hill.
Whetstone’s result is on the way.
This is going to be close.
3.45pm RESULT – Split result in Whetstone after third recount
The Conservatives have taken a seat from Labour in Whetstone after three recounts.
Conservative Stephen Lewis was elected just two votes behind Labour winner Ezra Cohen. Fellow Tory was just five votes behind.
Current running total: Conservatives 14 (+4) / Labour 8 (-5) / Green 1 (+1) – compared to 2022.
4.10pm We’re roughly halfway
4.45pm – Current situation – Labour’s route to victory
Barnet Vale is about to declare. It’s currently a split ward. If our calculations are correct, if Labour loses this and Brunswick Park (which it is tipped to lose) then the best result they can achieve is a tie (with one Green councillor).
4.50pm – RESULT – No change in Barnet Vale
A good result here for Labour, as sitting councillors Sue Baker and Richard Barnes hold on in what was previously the borough’s only split ward.
David Longstaff also holds his seat for the Conservatives.
If this result is indicative then we’re back to looking at a narrow Labour hold of the council.
It’s nailbiting stuff.
5.15pm – RESULT – Labour loses Brunswick Park to the Conservatives
Labour has lost the three seats in Brunswick Park.
This puts Labour in a precarious position but they will still win if they hold on to the nine previously Labour words still to declare.
It’s quite a narrow route to victory but we currently think they might do it.
A possible outcome from here is Labour 33, Conservative 29 plus 1 Green.
5.30pm – Current situation – things that are interesting us
A change we’re seeing this time around is the rise of split wards where a mix of different parties is elected in the same ward. In 2022, Barnet Vale was the only ward to return a split (two Labour, one Conservative).
This time around it has been joined by Woodhouse (one Labour, one Green) and Whetstone (one Labour, one Conservative).
The wackiest possible outcome is that we end with Labour and the Conservatives on 31 seats each and the one Green councillor holding the balance of power.
The most likely route to this result is the two seats in the relatively marginal High Barnet ward going to the Conservatives.
6pm – Current situation – waiting game
We’re waiting now for the remaining declaration. It’s a tense time for supporters of the two main parties in particular but, if you like a tight election, it’s exciting stuff.
The key wards were looking at from here are East Barnet, which is the ward most likely to delivery a Tory majority if they can flip it and High Barnet, which risks delivering a situation of no overall control if the Tories take it (while not taking East Barnet).
We are just about leaning Labour but we’re leaning Labour very slightly.
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6.40pm – RESULTS – Totteridge and Woodside / Colindale North
Two more wards have declared. The Conservatives hold the three seats in Totteridge and Woodside with former council leader Richard Cornelius back for another term.
In Colindale North, as expected, Labour hold the two seats comfortably.
We’re now very much at the business end of proceedings. East Barnet and High Barnet are the key wards still to come.
As things stand, we think Labour will narrowly hold the council but this outcome remains uncertain.
7.10pm – RESULTS – Garden Suburb / Burnt Oak / East Finchley
Not unexpectedly, the Conservatives have comfortably held Garden Suburb ward, while Labour have held Burnt Oak and East Finchley comfortably too.
High Barnet and East Barnet are the wards to watch. There are whispers of a split ward result in High Barnet. If this happens (and Labour holds on in East Barnet) then Labour will win the narrowest of majorities: Labour 32 / Conservative 30 / Green 1
7.42pm – RESULTS – Cricklewood / Finchley Church End
Labour has held on in Cricklewood, with London Assembly member Anne Clarke holding her seat alongside cabinet member for environment Alan Schneiderman, while the Tories have held their three seats in Finchley Church End.
8.05pm RESULT – Colindale South
Labour has held the three seats in Colindale South.
8.10pm – Current situation – Barnet avoids populist wave
Whatever happens with the final results tonight, one clear point about what’s happened in Barnet is that the borough has bucked the trend of towards populism to a significant extent.
It looks like Labour and the Conservatives between them will take 62 of the borough’s 63 seats and, while the Greens have had a good day taking their first elected seat ever, this result will be big relief for the established parties.
Both Conservative leader Peter Zinkin and Labour leader Barry Rawlings talk about this in interviews which will feature in our follow up story over the weekend.
8.30pm – RESULT – East Barnet
So, you’re not going to believe this but we have split ward in East Barnet – with the Conservatives taking one seat and Labour holding two. As it stands, this means we’re heading for no overall control.
The means Labour would be on 31 seats, the Conservatives also on 31 and Green councillor Charli Thompson holding the balance of power.
But that depends on Labour holding Underhill which is declaring now.
8.45pm – OVERALL RESULT – No overall control
It’s official Barnet Council is in no overall control. Labour and the Conservatives have 31 seats and the Green is holding the balance of power. We have talked to all three but it’s too soon to say what will happen next but we will share some thoughts over weekend.
Wow!
Thanks for joining us during the day. More on this tomorrow.
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