CAMPAIGNERS met last night in Enfield to discuss the merits and drawbacks of electoral reform ahead of a referendum on changing the UK voting system.

Proposals to ditch the First Past The Post (FPTP) voting system in favour of Alternative Vote (AV) are likely to be put to the British public on Thursday, May 5.

The referendum was a key demand of the Liberal Democrats in the coalition agreement with the Tories, and the party is fighting hard for a change in system they believe will make Parliamentary elections more democratic.

Caroline Pidgeon, Lib Dem London Assembly Member, told an audience at Enfield Civic Centre: “If we want people involved and engaged in democracy then we need for them to know that their vote will actually count.

“Having to get over half the votes of constituents is a bare minimum you should achieve and for too many parts of the country that's not the case and that can't be right.”

Under AV, voters rank the candidates in order of preference and the winner is the first to gain more than half of the votes cast.

If a majority is not reached after first preferences are counted, the lowest scoring candidate is knocked out and their second preferences are transferred. This process carries on until a winner has been declared.

Councillor Henry Lamprecht, deputy leader of the Conservatives on Enfield Council, made the case for the defence of FPTP, arguing that a change is not needed and this is not an issue of importance to voters.

He said: “Most of the public don't have a clue and are too busy to be bothered about politics – they want to get on with their lives.

“They just want to know that when they pick up the phone I'm going to be on the other end. Call me simplistic but that's what I think.”

He called AV “absurd and unpopular” and argued a change in voting system would be expensive and the public want effective public servants more than electoral reform.

Cllr Lamprecht was outnumber on the panel, put together by Enfield Civil Society Forum, with Natalie Bennett, editor of Guardian Weekly, and Andy Love, Labour MP for Edmonton, both arguing in favour of a change.

Mr Love said: “I'm in a fortunate position that more than 50 per cent of the electorate support me, but that's not the case for all candidates and under AV all candidates would have to get over 50 per cent of support.

“Especially in marginal constituencies, you would find candidates not only beating the drum for their policies, but would recognise they have to reach out across the political spectrum.”

Mr Love said he was fulfilling a manifesto pledge by supporting the move, and called for wider public debate of the issues ahead of the referendum.

He added: “We have to engage the public over any doubts they are having, we have to put this across in a way they can understand. People must know the reasons for and against and be able to make their choice.”

The date of the referendum has not yet been set as there continue to be wranglings in the House of Lords over what other measures, including changing the size of constituencies, should be included in the legislation.