Labour councillors have said they will support a council tax freeze, while Barnet’s only Liberal Democrat councillor is yet to decide.

Barnet Borough Council's Conservative administration has pledged to freeze council tax for 2015 to 2016.

Despite protests about possible library closures, Labour leader Councillor Alison Moore said did not advocate a rise.

She said: “I wouldn’t be happy putting it up at this time. People are still struggling, and a rise would not be something that would be welcomed.

“The reality is this administration pushed through a proposal to make those on council tax benefit pay more than twice as much. If you put council tax up, you put even more burden on those people.”

Asked whether she would support a rise next year in order to protect the library service, Cllr Moore said: “I cannot predict the future and I am not going to try. Getting it tangled up with council tax does the library service a disservice. It’s too important.”

Liberal Democrat councillor Jack Cohen said he was working on an alternative budget and was yet to make his mind up on the freeze, as there were difficulties with it.

If it raises the tax above two per cent, the authority has to hold a referendum, but raising it to 1.99 per cent means losing money from the Government.

Cllr Cohen said: “I need to look at the figures and whether raising council tax would produce a significant amount of money, enough to bridge the gap. It’s the freeze grant that makes it difficult.”

The freeze will be voted on when full council meets to discuss the authority's budget on March 3.