Tickets for the unpublicised event were believed to have cost £200 per head for what was dubbed “The Exit from Brexit Dinner”.

Express.co.uk understands those speaking at the event at the Carlton Jumeirah Hotel in Knightsbridge included the former deputy prime minister Nick Clegg, the Conservative MP for Broxtowe Anna Soubry and Chukka Umunna, the Labour MP for Streatham.

But a small band of protesters gathered outside this evening to demand those attending the event listened to the will of the people and back leaving the European Union.

As those attending the event arrived they were greeted with cries of “Why do you hate democracy?”

The high profile politicians attending the event avoided using the main entrance.

Ukip’s Chelsea branch chairman Richard Braine, who organised the protest, told Express.co.uk: “We’re the guard dogs. Our job is to keep an eye on the Tories.

“What a great job Arlene Foster did yesterday of keeping an eye on what they’re trying get away with. We know the Tories want to give away everything.

"Theresa May would more or less want to stay in the EU and the majority of the parliamentary Tory party is the same.

“Ideally they want to stay in, they all voted remain. At the last election the Tories actually increased the number of Remain MPs in Parliament. How do you explain that? They’re trying to betray Brexit.

"And we’re not going to let them. We’re going to keep campaigning. There are more people now that support Brexit than there were a year ago. If we had the vote now it would be 65-70 per cent in favour, in my opinion.”

Protestor Fiona Glenpercy said: “My motivation is because I see the EU as a badly run company. It’s a gravy train. It’s corrupt. It hasn’t published accounts for 25 years. If that was a regular company anywhere else it would be shut down.

"It’s anti-democratic. Getting 28 countries to agree on anything is a monstrously slow. It’s time we got out. It’s not working.”

Another protestor, who asked for anonymity, said: “When Tony Blair made that Maastricht speech about if you can’t remove the people who are in power then you’re not living in a democracy. When Ted Heath took us in 1970 he hardly mentioned in the manifesto.

“We’ve been fobbed off every time. We’re giving our power away. This is crazy.”

“May is getting so cornered she may have to just walk away. Tory Leave MPs have to stand their ground - Bill Cash, Iain Duncan Smith. If it means a constitutional crisis then so be it, bring it on.”

Ukip activist and one time parliamentary candidate Peter Dul, who also attended the demonstration said: “It’s a constitutional issue - it’s the sovereignty of the people which is lent to MPs when people cast their vote in an election, it should be handed back at the time of the next election.

“For 40 years governments of all stripes have handed over powers to an alien authority, the EU, without even asking the British people.

“What we want is our sovereignty back. It’s that simple. I don’t believe a bespoken deal is now possible. You can’t be half in, half out. Just leave.”