Barnet Council’s Labour group leader Councillor Alison Moore will continue in her role after surviving a leadership challenge.

West Finchley councillor Ross Houston mounted the challenge when the group met last Sunday, to select its spokesmen and committee members before tonight’s annual council meeting.

Cllr Moore, who represents East Finchley, said the group held a leadership vote each year, which was sometimes unopposed.

She said: “I am pleased to have been reselected. I do not formally know the results but I believe there was significant support.”

Cllr Moore revealed a similar challenge had been posed by Underhill councillor Paul Edwards last year.

The Barnet Labour leader said: “I think that it’s a healthy situation that we have confident members of the Labour group who are standing up and talking about the future. It is an open and democratic process.

“I intend to lead the Labour group as long as I feel I am the right person to do so and I have the support of the majority of the Labour group. I don’t in any way have problems with the challenge. That is absolutely fine, it is a healthy part of the process.”

Cllr Houston’s challenge was revealed by the Barnet Eye blog, which suggested Cllr Moore survived after Andrew Dismore, the defeated Hendon candidate, had thrown his weight behind her.

Cllr Moore said: “I am pleased to have Andrew’s support. I cannot speak of any conversations I had privately. The natural part of the selection process is you talk to your members and I am very pleased to have his support.

“Whether I have a challenge or not, I will always ask Labour members if I have their support.”

Discussing the defeat of Labour’s three parliamentary candidates in Barnet last week, Cllr Moore said: “We had really fantastic candidates locally, and they ran really good campaigns. We are really disappointed they were not elected, they would have made excellent MPs, but it is local people who vote.”

She added: “We have a lot of talented members of the group. I think the whole of the Labour group and the party will be building a plan to win the council outright in 2018 and I am confident we will be able to do that.”