THE Yes! to the alternative vote campaign has narrowly won in Camden, defying the national picture, as initial results suggest voters across the UK want to retain the current first-past–the-post system to elect MPs.

Moira Gibb, chief executive of Camden Council and the returning officer, announced tonight that 26,275 people in Camden voted to reform the electoral system in today’s referendum. Meanwhile, 24,845 residents voted against AV.

Turnout was 37.4 per cent, slightly higher than the London average, with a total of 51,297 residents taking part in the vote.

Keith Moffitt, leader of the Liberal Democrat opposition group on Camden Council and part of the cross party Yes! campaign, said: “I’m very pleased with the result in Camden. It’s a disappointing result nationally but in Camden people listened to the arguments for the Yes! campaign.”

David Douglas, agent of the No campaign in Camden told the Ham&High: “This is a marvellous result nationally. The country has rejected this ludicrous proposal.

“The first-past-the-post system is a clear, simple system where the winner is the person who got the most votes.”

In Barnet, residents voted overwhelmingly against AV – at 64.7 per cent.

The referendum was held on the same day as local elections across the country, with the Liberal Democrats suffering heavy losses and the Scottish National Party making huge gains in Scotland.