A WIRRAL MP has nailed his colours to the Brexit mast as David Cameron today confirmed the EU referendum to determine the future of Britain will take place on June 23.

Birkenhead Labour MP Frank Field defied leader Jeremy Corbyn by saying "a vote to leave is the only way to achieve major EU reform."

He went on to say he will be campaigning for Britain to leave the EU.

Following a landmark Cabinet meeting that lasted more than two hours, the Prime Minister addressed the nation from Downing Street this afternoon.

Emerging on the steps of No 10 after marathon talks with EU leaders last night, Mr Cameron said: "The choice is in your hands. But my recommendation is clear.

"I believe Britain will be safer, stronger and better off by remaining in a reformed European Union."

Mr Field said: "What a choice our poor old country faces.

"There’s widespread support amongst voters across Europe for a fundamental EU reform programme, but our Government never seriously considered leading on this front.

"Yet the Government so lacked ability that it couldn’t even achieve the minimal reform programme it cobbled together.

"Holding the referendum in June was clearly more important than winning major reforms.

"The Government has failed to secure the key renegotiation requirement, namely, that we should regain control of our borders.

"I shall therefore be campaigning to leave the EU."

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn ,while confirming the Opposition would campaign for an "in" vote, said Mr Cameron's renegotiation was a "missed opportunity."

"We will be campaigning to keep Britain in Europe in the coming referendum, regardless of David Cameron's tinkering, because it brings investment, jobs and protection for British workers and consumers," he said.

Ukip leader Nigel Farage dismissed the "truly pathetic deal" and urged voters to seize the "golden opportunity" to show that Britain would be better off being fully independent of Brussels.

The new deal will allow host nations to cut migrants' child benefit payments for children living overseas to the rate paid in their home countries - usually far lower than those received by UK parents.

A compromise will allow existing claimants to carry on receiving child benefit in full for offspring living overseas until 2020, and all member states will then be able to pay them at the rate of their home country.

It falls well short of the outright ban on sending child benefit abroad initially demanded by Mr Cameron, and marks a compromise with eastern European states who had insisted that existing claimants should continue to receive the full payment until their sons and daughters reach adulthood.

An "emergency brake" on in-work welfare payments for future migrant workers will be made available for seven years - with no option for extensions - in cases where member states are facing excessive strain from new arrivals.

The seven-year period is shorter than the 13 years put forward by Mr Cameron in negotiations, but considerably longer than eastern European nations had argued for.

The new deal also says EU treaties will be amended to state explicitly that references to the requirement to seek ever-closer union "do not apply to the United Kingdom".