Theresa May admitted she was wrong to say EU nationals “jump the queue” to work in the UK, as she revealed the date when MPs will decide the fate of her Brexit deal.

The “meaningful vote” will take place on Tuesday 11 December, at the close of five days of debate – and just two days before the prime minister heads to Brussels for another EU summit.

The date was announced as the agreement faced another torrent of criticism from all sides in the Commons, pointing to a heavy defeat and an unprecedented political crisis.

Making a statement, Ms May again refused to set out a “plan B”, as her aides insisted she was focused entirely on changing enough minds to win the vote against all the odds.

But she did backtrack on her controversial comment – to the CBI conference last week – that EU migrants will “no longer” be able to “jump the queue”, ahead of migrants from the rest of the world.

The remark triggered a storm of criticism, being branded “offensive” and “disgraceful” by Nicola Sturgeon, the Scottish first minister, and the fuel for hate crime by a leading academic.

In the Commons, the SNP’s Philippa Whitford protested it was insulting to people like her doctor husband, a German national, who has been in the UK for 30 years making a contribution.

In reply, Ms May told MPs: “I should not have used that language in that speech.”

Cabinet ministers resign over Brexit deal Show all 13 1 /13 Cabinet ministers resign over Brexit deal Cabinet ministers resign over Brexit deal Esther McVey Britain's Work and Pensions Secretary Esther McVey arrives to attend the weekly meeting of the cabinet at 10 Downing Street in London. - Britain's Work and Pensions Secretary Esther McVey resigned from the cabinet over draft Brexit deal AFP/Getty Cabinet ministers resign over Brexit deal Handout image taken from the Twitter feed of @EstherMcVey1 of the resignation letter addressed to Prime Minister Theresa May from Works and Pensions Secretary Esther McVey. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Issue date: Thursday November 15, 2018. Ms McVey has resigned, saying the Brexit deal âdoes not honour the result of the referendumâ. See PA story POLITICS Brexit. Photo credit should read: @DominicRaab/PA Wire NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used in for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder. PA Cabinet ministers resign over Brexit deal Dominic Raab British Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab give a press conference at the end of the final round of talks in Brexit negotiations at the European Commission in Brussels, Belgium EPA Cabinet ministers resign over Brexit deal Handout image taken from the Twitter feed of @DominicRaab of the resignation letter addressed to Prime Minister Theresa May from Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Issue date: Thursday November 15, 2018. Mr Raab has resigned, saying he âcannot in good conscience support the terms proposed for our deal with the EUâ. See PA story POLITICS Brexit. Photo credit should read: @DominicRaab/PA Wire NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used in for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder. PA Cabinet ministers resign over Brexit deal Rehman Chrishti Vice Chairman of the Conservative Party Rehman Chrishti tendered his resignation letter this afternoon PA Cabinet ministers resign over Brexit deal Cabinet ministers resign over Brexit deal Anne-Marie Trevelyan Parliamentary private secretary in the Department of Education Anne-Marie Trevelyan resigned stating that she cannot support the deal Cabinet ministers resign over Brexit deal Handout image taken from the Twitter feed of @annietrev of the resignation letter addressed to Prime Minister Theresa May from Anne-Marie Trevelyan, a parliamentary private secretary in the Department for Education. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Issue date: Thursday November 15, 2018. Ms Trevelyan has resigned saying she cannot support the Brexit deal after negotiations âbuilt on the UK trying to appease the EUâ. See PA story POLITICS Brexit. Photo credit should read: @annietrev/PA Wire NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used in for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder. PA Cabinet ministers resign over Brexit deal Sam Gyimah Universities minister Sam Gyimah resigned on November 30, claiming the government's decision to pull out of the EU's Galileo satellite navigation system as a deciding factor PA Cabinet ministers resign over Brexit deal Shailesh Vara Shailesh Vara who has quit as Minister of State for Northern Ireland, saying he cannot support Theresa May's Brexit agreement, which he said "leaves the UK in a halfway house with no time limit on when we will finally be a sovereign nation" PA Cabinet ministers resign over Brexit deal Cabinet ministers resign over Brexit deal Suella Braverman Brexit minister Suella Braverman has resigned, stating “It is not what the British people, or my constituents, voted for in 2016.” Cabinet ministers resign over Brexit deal Ranil Jayawardena Parliamentary private secretary to the ministry of justice Ranil Jayawardena resigned as he could not back the deal "in good conscience"

The comment was a clumsy reference to the government’s intention to introduce a new immigration system after 2020, when free movement is due to end, treating EU and non-EU migrants equally.

The date of the meaningful vote was set out in a letter to Conservative MPs from Julian Smith, the chief whip, which also highlighted a “number of three-line whips” during the following week.

If, as seems certain, the deal is rejected, Labour has said it will push for a general election by tabling a vote of no confidence in the government soon afterwards.

The number of Tory MPs speaking out against the deal has now reached 95, and hopes of Labour support have melted away – pointing to a humiliation for the prime minister who negotiated it.

In the Commons, the ranks of the Tory rebels appeared to be bolstered by Michael Fallon, the former defence secretary, who said the UK would be “surrendering our vote and our veto”, with nothing concrete in return.

Jeremy Corbyn made clear Labour’s opposition, saying: “This botched deal is still a bad deal for the country and all yesterday did was mark the end of this government’s failed and miserable negotiations.”

The prime minister, who is about to embark on a nationwide tour to argue for her agreement, urged MPs to recognise the “absolute certainty that there is not a better deal available”.

“Our duty as a parliament over these coming weeks is to examine this deal in detail, to debate it respectfully, to listen to our constituents and decide what is in our national interest,” she said.