Poll: Should 16 and 17-year-olds be allowed to vote in the EU referendum bill?

David Cameron should "show a bit more class" and answer the questions, Harriet Harman insisted as she quizzed the Prime Minister on the EU referendum in yesterday's Prime Minister's Questions (PMQs).

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Supporting image for story: Poll: Should 16 and 17-year-olds be allowed to vote in the EU referendum bill?

Ms Harman opened the weekly bout by urging the Prime Minister to explain why he did not want to allow 16 and 17-year-olds to vote in the European Union referendum, insisting: "This is about the future of our country, they did in the Scottish referendum, it's their future too."

Mr Cameron replied: "Can I thank you and all the Labour MPs who joined us in the division lobbies last night - after five years of opposing a referendum, to see them all trooping through was the biggest mass conversion since that Chinese general baptised his troops with the hosepipe."

The Prime Minister said MPs should vote on votes at 16 in the referendum during scrutiny of the European Union Referendum Bill, but said he and the Conservatives were against it.

Referring to the first part of Mr Cameron's reply, Ms Harman said: "You won the election, you're the Prime Minister. You don't need to do ranting and sneering and gloating.

"You can just answer the question - and frankly you should show a bit more class."

Ms Harman's remarks were met with loud jeering on the Tory benches.