Almost 3,000 people have signed a petition demanding the resignation of Rob Wilson MP, who was minister for civil society prior to the election, after a constituent tweeted a question about homelessness and he called her a “bad loser”.

The tweet, which Wilson said he had “misread”, asked the MP for Reading East on 8 May what effect the Conservative cuts will have on homelessness in Reading, which increased 700 per cent during the previous coalition government.

The question was asked by Lynda Bowyer, a photojournalist who lives in the Reading East constituency.

Just over an hour later Wilson tweeted back: “Don’t be a bad loser”.

A number of Wilson's constituents demanded on Twitter than he apologise. Shortly afterwards a petition was launched on campaigning site 38 Degrees, which called for his “instant resignation”. So far it has received almost 3,000 signatures.

The introduction of the petition says: “This level of arrogance and open disdain for the very people he represents is completely unacceptable and his job should go to someone who will take it seriously and who will treat his constituents with the respect they deserve.”

Wilson tweeted Bowyer today to say that he had emailed a response to the question, as “140 characters would not enable a full reply”. He has not apologised for the tweet.

In the full email response, seen by Civil Society News, which was received by Bowyer late yesterday evening, Wilson did not directly apologise but wrote that “after months of solid campaigning and having been awake for thirty hours, I misread your tweet and replied in haste”.

Wilson went on to talk about homelessness, calling it “an extremely serious issue and a human tragedy for those who suffer it”.

He named various funds set up to help those who are homeless, accounting for up to £500m which has been “made available to give councils and the voluntary sector the funding and tools needed to take action, and a range of initiatives and projects are now being supported.”

He also said that during his time as minister for civil society, a post he has held since last September, he has “worked personally to combat this entrenched social problem and have been in constant contact with charities and social enterprises who are on the frontline, helping people.”

He told Bowyer that, as MP for Reading East, he would “work tirelessly to combat homelessness and its causes in Reading, and I stand ready to work with anyone, regardless of their political views, who is in a position to help with this.”

Wilson concluded his email by inviting Bowyer to meet with him in one of his constituency surgeries to discuss the matter further.

Bowyer has also shared the email in which she replied to Wilson. She wrote that although his response was appreciated, it “does not address the direct issues of homelessness in Reading which, it has to be said, rose substantially under the last coalition government and, if Mr Duncan-Smith's planned cuts are to go ahead, will worsen an already dire situation”.

She told Wilson that the “tone of your dismissive tweet was rude, and not what I would have expected”.

Bowyer added that the resulting petition and the “astounding rate at which this issue went viral on social media and also in the news is not of my doing - I am not responsible for the reaction of those responding to your tweet to me.”

Rob Wilson told Civil Society News: “I think people in Reading East know that I have worked hard to help homeless people in Reading. I have previously run a campaign lobbying Reading Borough Council for a night shelter and been in regular contact with homelessness charities in Reading, such as Launchpad and the Salvation Army. I have always listened to their concerns and sought to support them in the vital work they do.

"I have known Lynda Bowyer for a number of years as an activist journalist who has contributed her views about government policy on a number of occasions. It was in her capacity as a journalist that I responded to her tweet. I continue to address her concerns as a constituent by email.

"I will continue to take up the issue of homelessness with Reading Borough Council, as I have done on various occasions over the last 10 years.”