Conservative Party members are angry at a former Tory MP's suggestion there will be a second EU referendum in the near future.
Ben Howlett, who lost his Bath seat to the Liberal Democrats last June, said the issue about Britain rejoining the European Union may be put to a vote to satisfy the youth movement and their anti-Brexit views.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4's World at One programme, Mr. Howlett said Brexit is a big concern to many younger people, including the former Bath MP himself who campaigned for the UK to stay in the EU. He said if younger voters are not pleased with the final deal, then they could force the Government to legislate for a second vote to settle the question once and for all.
But Mr. Howlett, who himself served as chairman of Conservative Future, the youth wing of the Conservative Party, in between 2010-13, has encountered a flurry of criticism from young Tories who he represented during his time as chairman.
'The term "sour grapes" comes to mind.'
Harmeet Singh Brar, a Conservative councillor for Wellow, Somerset, said: 'As a Remain voter, I do not think a second referendum is fair or in any way justified. Where do you draw the line after the second one? Should we have a third one too? I believe the choice was clear and that people had an understanding of what they were voting on and we must all respect that outcome.'
'Ben Howlett goes on to say that many young people are not happy that we are leaving the EU.
I would say to all of us political activists who have been encouraging young people to vote: we all had the chance to share our views and they should have voted. The term "sour grapes" comes to mind.'
Cameron Winstanley, an active CF member at Essex University, said: 'There was a turnout of 72.2% which we can be very proud of.
This could jeopardise the future credibility of referendum turnouts and damage trust in Politics further. We owe it to voters and future generations to get on with the job of leaving the EU. We can't keep crawling back and expect relations to be the same for us as they were prior to the referendum.'
'Thank God he lost his seat.'
According to one poll, 85 per cent of 18-24-year-olds want to retain their EU citizenship, in addition to their British rights.
The research, led by the London School of Economics, discovered more than 2,000 participants would pay to keep their status as an EU citizen. The average sum among this category of voters, including those who oppose the idea, was £400.
Mr. Howlett said the influence of young voters needs to be addressed by the Conservatives, as this could result in demands for a second referendum becoming a reality. The former MP criticised his party for missing the point during the last general election while trying to convince younger electors they should vote for the Tories. He blamed this failure on losing his Bath seat.
However, Ben Walker, an active CF member in Worcester, said: 'Thank God he lost his seat.
If we are going to have a second referendum, why not a third, fourth and fifth? The only reason you would hold a second is because you don't like the decision of the first. He's probably just doing it because Bath is a big Remain seat.'
CF activist Adam Lawless said another referendum is going against the will of the people. He added: 'This election showed a considerable majority in favour of pro-Brexit parties. Ultimately, I feel people's will is lost if there is another.'
'An absolute disgrace.'
Another CF source said his comments are an 'absolute disgrace.'
Mr. Howlett joined the Conservative Party in 2004, working for former Tory MP Douglas Carswell and London MEP Syed Kamall in 2007-2010. He has also served as leader of the Conservative group on Harwich Town Council.
In November 2015, following the suicide of Conservative activist Elliott Johnson, he told BBC's Newsnight that 'institutionalised bullying' in Conservative Future had been 'swept under the carpet' to prevent the Tories from losing the 2015 General Election.
Following last year's referendum result, Mr. Howlett argued Britain should retain its membership of the EU's Single Market. In October 2016, he asked Universities Secretary Jo Johnson to leave international students out of immigration figures in order to attract overseas students to study at British universities.
