London Borough of Barnet

London Borough of Barnet, administrative region, London, England. Barnet is one of the largest London boroughs, created from the merger of the former metropolitan boroughs of Finchley and Hendon with the Barnet, East Barnet, and Friern Barnet urban districts. It is situated in north-west London, south of the county of Hertfordshire and adjacent to the boroughs of Harrow, Brent, Camden, Haringey, and Enfield. Barnet lies on the edge of the Green Belt, and contains numerous conservation areas and parks, golf courses, and open spaces. The M1 motorway, which links London to the north of England and the Midlands, begins in Barnet.

Places of note in the borough include the RAF Museum at Hendon, the Brent Cross shopping centre, and Hampstead Garden Suburb, founded in 1907 and containing many buildings designed by the architect Sir Edwin Lutyens. Finchley and Golders Green in the south-east part of the borough have been associated with Jewish immigration and settlement for many centuries. Barnet is a relatively affluent borough, where most householders own their own home and car ownership is high.

In 1965 Greater London was created under the jurisdiction of the Greater London Council. This council was abolished in 1986, and each inner and outer borough and the City of London itself had its own governing council as the sole administrative authority from then until 2000. The borough councils consist of councillors elected every four years, who in turn annually elect their presiding official. Councils are responsible for the provision of most local services including education, housing, social services, local planning, roads, refuse collection, recreation, and culture.

On May 4, 2000, the people of London voted in a new London mayor, Ken Livingstone, and a 25-strong cross-party assembly, together known as the Greater London Authority. A new mayor is elected every four years; Livingstone served two terms, but was defeated by Conservative MP Boris Johnson in the 2008 mayoral election. Although the mayor has limited budget-raising powers, the position includes responsibility for the police, fire service, health, and public transport. Population 314,561 (2001).