‘Should the United Kingdom remain a member of the European Union?’

The landmark vote – to be staged as early as next year – will ask the electorate: ‘Should the United Kingdom remain a member of the European Union?’

The question will be seen as a victory for supporters of remaining in the EU because it means they will be campaigning for a ‘Yes’ vote – widely seen as an easier campaign to win.

The prime minister will publish the EU Referendum Bill ahead of all other measures in yesterday’s Queen’s Speech, before starting a tour of European capitals to discuss reforms ahead of the vote.

A No10 source said: “As the prime minister has said before, it will be an important choice about our country’s destiny. The question is clear. It will be for voters to decide whether to stay or leave.”

The wording of the question follows a fierce row after the Government was accused of quietly planning an assault on Labour funding, in the small print of the Queen’s Speech.

As well as raising the threshold for ballots for industrial action, a surprise move will see union members required to opt-in to “the political fund element” of union subscriptions.

Such a move is certain to hit union funding of Labour and was seen as a pre-emptive strike by the Conservatives, in the absence of a deal on party funding.

Paul Kenny, general secretary of the GMB union, said: “It's one rule for the Tory slush fund, hedge funds and another for trade union members.”

Elsewhere, the Queen’s Speech contained few surprises, containing measures including:

• A two-year freeze on most working-age benefits - including child benefit and tax credits - from 2016, as well as a cut in the household benefit cap from £26,000 to £23,000
• A doubling of free childcare for three and four-year-olds by 2017, to 30 hours a week.
• Beefed-up powers for regional schools commissioners to intervene in “coasting schools”, which will be converted to academies.
• A Bill to “stop extremists promoting views and behaviour that undermine British values”.
• Giving economic, transport and policing powers to combined authorities which agree to be ruled by a ‘metro mayor’.

In the Commons, Mr Cameron dismissed the absence of a Bill to scrap the Human Rights Act, denying it had been dropped and insisting legislation would follow.

And he set out his central aim for the Queen’s Speech, saying: “A country of security and opportunity, for everyone at every stage of life. That is our ambition.”

But Harriet Harman, Labour’s acting leader, warned of huge cuts to come for local councils, saying: “You can't empower local government if you impoverish it.”