"These members who have been Conservatives for most of their lives will have to vote against their party for the first time.
"But once you start voting against your party you lose your attachment to it and when you lose your attachment you start looking around.
"The obvious home for disgruntled Conservatives will be Ukip."
Mr Strafford's warning comes after a member of the Conservative party's board said that activists are so angry at Mr Cameron's comments that they are now threatening to refuse to campaign for Tory candidates in the mayoral and local elections in May.
• Dan Hodges: Can we all stop pretending Britain might leave the EU?
Geoffrey Vero, the former President of Michael Gove's Surrey Heath constituency association, accused Mr Cameron of being "dismissive" of Conservative grassroots.
He said: "I am very disappointed, everybody's views should be properly listened to. To be so dismissive is not the right way to treat people.
"I am certain that MPs will consult with their associations. It is those associations who have picked those people to represent them."
He warned Mr Cameron against using "nasty scare tactics".
"Despite what he appears to think, he has no divine right to rule"
Andrew Nicholas, the chairman of Enfield North Conservative Association
He said: "I believe that Britain can do exceptionally well if we are no longer part of the EU. I am not worried if we come out. It's very wrong of people to try and frighten the electorate with nasty scare tactics because we have nothing to fear if we come out."
Another association chairman, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said he was worried that if members were on the verge of joining Ukip they will have "just been pushed over the edge" and will move to a party where they can campaign openly to leave Europe.
Andrew Rosindell, the MP for Romford, told The Telegraph: "There are bound to be some people who go to Ukip, as we are all feeling pretty despondent.
"We campaigned on a platform that there would be a robust renegotiation, but that hasn't happened."
Source: http://telegraph.feedsportal.com/c/32726/f/579309/s/4d6443d1/sc/13/l/0L0Stelegraph0O0Cnews0Cnewstopics0Ceureferendum0C121431760CDavid0ECamerons0Econtempt0Efor0Ethe0ETory0Egrassroots0Erisks0Epushing0Ethem0Einto0Ethe0Earms0Eof0EUkip0Bhtml/story01.htm
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