Barnet Borough Council’s Conservative leader returns to office knowing opposition councillors have no faith in his leadership after a majority of just one voted to keep him in power.

A motion by the council's opposition Labour group to oust Councillor Richard Cornelius from his role was defeated by 32 to 31 votes at last night’s extraordinary council meeting.

Councillor Richard Cornelius voted to save himself but had he abstained, the votes would have been tied and Conservative Mayor Hugh Rayner would have had the casting vote.

Barnet Borough Council’s Labour group called Cllr Cornelius’s leadership into question after a damning report concluded that nobody at the authority understood government law.

The report was commissioned after a series of blunders at a council meeting on June 7, which led to errors in its members’ allowances scheme and the way committee members were allocated.

With a majority of just two on the council, all Conservative councillors voted to protect Cllr Cornelius, with Labour voting for the motion.

The only Liberal Democrat councillor, Jack Cohen, voted for the Labour motion.

Speaking after the meeting, he told the Times Series: “The June 7 meeting was a shambles. I firmly believe responsibility lies on the shoulders of the Conservative ruling administration and on the shoulders of the leader of the council in particular.

“What happened on June 7 was unacceptable and could have cost the council hundreds of thousands of pounds.

“There may still be things that have gone wrong that haven’t come to light yet. It all amounts to the competence by the leadership of the Conservative group and someone has to take responsibility. It ought to be the politician in charge.”

The Times Series has contacted Cllr Cornelius for a comment.