On Wednesday, the Prime Minister told the Commons: "Don't take a view because of what your constituency association might say, or you're worried about a boundary review, or you think it might be advantageous this way or that way."
Mr Cameron has been accused of showing "disrespect" to party activists in a letter signed by representatives from 43 local Conservative associations across England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
In the letter to The Sunday Telegraph, the Conservative associations warned: "No prime minister has a divine right to rule."
A Downing Street spokesman told the paper: "The PM has the greatest of respect for Conservative associations across the country. He was simply making the point that everyone should ultimately vote with their conscience."
EU: UK Better In Than Out?
But in a boost to Mr Cameron, one of Margaret Thatcher's closest advisers suggested the former prime minister would have backed his proposed deal for a new relationship with Brussels.
Lord Powell of Bayswater, Mrs Thatcher's former private secretary and foreign affairs adviser, used a Sunday Times article to say that although the so-called Iron Lady might have "raged more mightily" at Brussels than Mr Cameron "she would have gone along with what is on offer, indeed negotiated something similar herself".
Meanwhile, speculation continued to surround the likely positions of Cabinet ministers when the referendum campaign finally gets under way.
EU Benefits: What Does The PM Want?
Reports suggested that employment minister Priti Patel is likely to back a Brexit, while The Sunday Telegraph claimed Mr Cameron had personally appealed to Justice Secretary Michael Gove not to join the campaign for the UK to sever ties with Brussels.
:: Watch more on this story today on Sky News' Murnaghan programme at 10am today when Yvette Cooper and Douglas Carswell will be interviewed.
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