The Labour group may have lost the election in Barnet, but several new faces have joined its ranks and are keen to make an impact on the borough.

Like the Conservatives, it is a diverse group of councillors – 56 per cent are women, 44 per cent are from black, Asian and minority ethnic backgrounds, and 16 per cent are Jewish.

And while the Tories won a 13-seat majority on election night, Labour’s four new faces are determined to hold the new administration to account.

Jo Cooper, who was elected in East Barnet, works as an occupational therapist for the National Health Service.

She said election night was “bittersweet”.

She said: “I am representing East Barnet, and there are issues about crime, and lots of environmental issues. Potholes, paving, dog fouling and the bins – these are the day to day issues I expected to be dealing with.

“I have also worked in social services, so I am able to see the workings of the system from a different angle. I think working with the public has given me a good grounding as a councillor.”

Cllr Cooper said contracting and Capita were areas where the Conservatives needed to be held to account – particularly in light of Carillion’s failure and the Capita profit warning.

She said: “I think we need more evidence that we are getting value for money from these contracts and they are performing as they were intended – and if that is not the case, we need to look at different ways of bringing in the right teams and the right workforce to carry out what is required.

“Housing is another big issue. There is a lot of private development going on, and we are not meeting the recommended percentage of social housing, and that is another issue we really need to tackle.”

Anne Clarke, who was elected in Childs Hill, grew up in suburb of Chicago and first came over to the UK to study at university.

She later married a man from Welsh valleys and moved to Barnet in 2008.

“I certainly wasn’t pleased with the result overall,” she said. “But obviously, it is a great opportunity to represent my home ward of Childs Hill."

One of her main concerns is the Brent Cross regeneration scheme.

“At the moment, it is not clear what the benefit of the regeneration is. There are three waste sites at the beginning of the regeneration programme, with no obvious benefit to the community. I really hope to see the borough have some of the investment.”

Cllr Clarke also said she was hoping for a rethink on libraries, adding that money should be spent on re-employing staff rather than on security guards to keep people out.

As vice-chairman of the board of governors at All Saints’ in Cricklewood Lane, education is another issue close to her heart.

“When the government has been cutting school budgets and has pledged £50 million for grammar school expansion, there is going to be an interesting debate,” she said.

“Barnet schools are really hurting at the moment, and it is creating a perfect storm for people to slip through the net.”

Danny Rich, the new councillor for West Finchley, is a senior Rabbi and chief executive of Liberal Judaism.

He said: “I have some worries about how Barnet will look under this administration.”

Antisemitism was a major factor in the local election result in Barnet – and Cllr Rich is determined to tackle it.

He said: “Part of my task is to rebuild the trust between the party and the Jewish community – not because we will get more votes, but because it is a moral issue.

“These are people with Labour values who find themselves without a progressive home because they feel the Labour Party is unable to deal with the challenge of antisemitism.”