Labour politicians are demanding a government investigation to determine how much taxpayers’ money has been “lost” by Barnet Borough Council through incorrect legal advice.

The council's Labour group has written a letter to Eric Pickles, Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, after a report by independent lawyer Claer Lloyd-Jones into governance at the authority, which concluded that “nobody” at the authority understands local government law and staff in key roles are “inexperienced”.

Barnet Council’s monitoring officer, Maryellen Salter, left her role last week after her lack of legal knowledge and experience was criticised in the report.

The letter was signed by the three Labour Parliamentary candidates for Barnet - Sarah Sackman, Amy Trevethan, and Andrew Dismore – and Councillor Alison Moore, leader of Barnet Council’s Labour group.

It says: “You will be aware that the external legal report into Barnet Council published last week identified serious failings in the council’s governance.

“The Lloyd-Jones report does not examine decisions by councillors or legal advice given to them prior to May 2014 and there is now serious concern that many other decisions have been made without legal advice or with incorrect legal advice.

“This raises the further concern that poorly advised decision-making has lost or wasted council tax payers’ money and Government grants administered by your department.”

The letter also states that there “must be no cover-up of any financial losses caused by these failings”.

It calls for an inspection to consider all decisions taken since April 2012, when the council decided to close its in-house legal department.

Under Barnet’s arrangements with Harrow Borough Council, which provides its legal services, no legal experts are based at Barnet.

The letter ends by stating: “The council's failings have been obvious for a long time and we would expect you as Secretary of State to be concerned about decisions taken at Barnet.”

Deputy leader of the council, Councillor Dan Thomas, said: “This is simply the three Labour candidates attempting to use DCLG resources to discredit a Conservative-run council. This sort of reaction is typical of the local Labour Party, led as it is by Andrew Dismore.

"Cllr Moore should be ashamed of letting herself be dragged into this dirty tricks campaign. The council is responding in mature fashion to the report it commissioned into governance issues and, in the meantime, the excellent services that residents care about continue to be delivered.”