The Archbishop of Canterbury has called for Remainers to "stop whingeing" and accept the result of the Brexit referendum.

The Most Rev Justin Welby said those who voted to stay in the EU must now "take seriously the fact that the majority voted Leave", stating: "We may not like it, but that is democracy."

Last week it emerged that Archbishop Welby was in talks to chair a proposed "citizens' forum" intended by MPs to help avoid a no-deal exit from the EU. The disclosure prompted Mark Francois, a prominent Conservative Brexiteer to suggest that the archbishop was joining politicians lecturing voters "about why we should overturn their democratic decision."

But in comments made during a question and answer session two days before it emerged that he was in talks to chair the forum, Archbishop Welby stated that he was a "democrat" and did not support the campaign for a second Brexit referendum.

In remarks reported by the Church Times, he added: “We have to take seriously the fact that the majority voted Leave. We may not like it, but that is democracy; and that means we have to stop whingeing about it and do something about reuniting the country.”