 Before the election the Conservatives ran the council with 36 seats, compared to 20 for Labour and 6 for the Liberal Democrats, with one seat vacant in Golders Green ward.A total of 251 candidates stood in the election including a full slate of 63 each from the Conservative, Labour and Liberal Democrat parties.The Green party stood 51 candidates, a record for the party in Barnet, while there were 11 candidates from the new Residents Association of Barnet, 1 from the British National Party and 2 independents.