BARNET'S Conservative councillors have refused to release the voting figures from last night's leadership election because it was held in a secret ballot.

The decision makes it impossible to say how close the call was between the winner former deputy leader Cllr Lynne Hillan, ward councillor for Brunswick Park and the only other candidate, Cllr Fiona Bulmer, cabinet member for children's services and Underhill ward member.

Cllr Bulmer said that even she did not know the figures.

On the result she said: “Obviously I'm disappointed on a personal level but that's the nature of democracy and obviously I will support the leader in the next election.

“I'm sure Cllr Hillan will do a good job.”

Cllr Bulmer did not want to comment on what she thought Cllr Hillan's strengths will be in the challenging months ahead or where she felt she could have done better.

She added: “I'm not going to comment on that, I put my case to the group last night and she did hers.”

A spokesman for the group said that 33 out of a possible 37 councillors attended the vote.

He said Barnet's Mayor, Cllr Brian Coleman and Hugh Rayner, were unable to attend because of Mayoral duties.

Cllr Jazmin Naghar was not there as she is getting married on Saturday and Marina Yannakoudakis was working in her role as a Member of the European Parliament.

In the Deputy Leader elections there were three candidates, Clls Andrew Harper, Melvin Cohen and Richard Cornelius. Cllr Harper won on the first ballot after getting more than 50 per cent of the votes cast.

Neither councillor has so far been available for comment.

Cllr Hillan will almost certainly become the leader of the council when current leader Cllr Mike Freer steps down on Tuesday. She will need to win a further ballot but this is considered a formality.