The dispute between the two Conservative politicians began when Sir Bill Cash MP read out a quote by one of the founding fathers of the European Union, Jean Monnet, who hailed the idea of a United States of Europe and the stripping of nations of their sovereignty as a fundamental progression for the continent. Sir Bill read: “The United States of Europe is not merely a great hope but the urgent need of our time. A federated Europe is essential.

“It is essential we wipe out the boundaries between the nations of Europe.

“We must pursue the creation of a United Europe.”

Ken Clarke, the former father of the House of Commons, claimed many people no longer share Mr Monnet’s ideology a dismissed the idea that Europe could become a federalist state. 

He said: “That was 60 years ago!”

He added: “I’m not a federalist. You want to tell me that the Czechs or the French are going to agree to submerge and Poland is going to vanish into a magistrate of Europe.

“It is pure fantasy. The argument about sovereignty you and I have been having for 60 years…all treaties require pulling of sovereignty.”

Forced to interrupt the pair as they talked over each other, BBC Radio 4’s Westminster Hour host Carolyn Quinn said: “Bill, you are not going to convince Ken, are you?”

He replied: “No, I’m not. And it’s not going to convince me.”

As the two Tories started talking at the same time again, the BBC host added: “If I may, if I may.

“I think this discussion shows that you two are never going to convince each other of your respective arguments.”

The UK will officially leave the Brussels bloc on Friday, January 31.

Brexiteers had hoped to celebrate the historic event with a bong of Big Ben as they will gather in Parliament Square on Friday evening.

But the organisers of a fundraising campaign to get Big Ben to ring to mark Brexit have now admitted defeat.

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More than £270,000 raised in an effort to pay for a pause in restoration works and return the bell into service will now be donated to the Help for Heroes military charity.

Tory MP Mark Francois said: “The response from the British people has been fantastic and we are deeply grateful to everyone who donated.

“However, having made final attempts over the last several days to persuade the House of Commons Authorities that Big Ben should chime, we regret to report that we have been unsuccessful and therefore we feel we can no longer ask people to donate.

“We officially closed the fund at noon today.”

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