LABOUR and the Tories are on a collision course over plans to bar Scottish MPs from voting on English taxes and welfare spending, amid accusations of "gerrymandering".

Labour is furious that David Cameron announced the surprise proposals less than an hour after yesterday's independence result.

Critics accused the Conservative leader of a land grab that could prevent a Scot from ever again becoming Prime Minister.

A number of Labour MPs immediately denounced the move as a Conservative ruse to create a rival power base if Ed Miliband wins next year's general election.

Last night Mr Cameron came under further pressure as Alex Salmond accused him of reneging already on a pledge to have a vote on extra powers for Scotland early next year.

Mr Cameron said he was "delighted" that Scots had rejected independence, saying "it would have broken my heart to see our United Kingdom come to an end".

But, he added, now that millions of Scots had cast their votes "the millions of voices of England must also be heard".

He added: "The question of English votes for English laws, the so-called West Lothian question, requires a decisive answer.

"So, just as Scotland will vote separately in the Scottish Parliament on their issues of tax, spending and welfare, so too England, as well as Wales and Northern Ireland, should be able to vote on these issues."

There was an angry response from senior Labour figures, while aides made clear Mr Miliband was not in favour of creating "two classes of MP".

They accused Mr Cameron of failing to live up to a historic moment by "trying to be party political".

Labour fears if it wins in 2015 but fails to secure a majority in England under the Tories plans the opposition would be able to major health and education reform.

In a rival move last night, Mr Miliband called for a UK-wide constitutional convention, as he arrived in Manchester for his party's annual conference.

Among his suggested reforms include turning the House of Lords into a senate for the nations and the regions, as revealed by The Herald earlier this year.

There are fears the intensifying row between the two main UK parties could undermine their joint vow on greater powers for the Scottish Parliament,

Owen Smith, the shadow Welsh Secretary, denounced the move as "Tory gerrymandering to hang on to power at Westminster".

Shadow foreign secretary Douglas Alexander said the move was "wholly inadequate" and a "knee-jerk response".

Mr Alexander accused Mr Cameron of self-interest, suggesting he was trying to head off a revolt by Tory MPs over his extra powers pledge, which included a vow to retain the controversial Barnett formula, which gives Scotland a higher level of public spending per head than England.

In a bid to keep that pledge on track Mr Cameron yesterday reiterated his promised timetable of early next year.

But Alex Salmond alleged that timescale has slipped.

Mr Cameron has also announced that Lord Smith of Kelvin, who led the staging of Glasgow's Commonwealth Games, is to oversee the process of extra devolution.

William Hague is to head the process of reform on English votes. He said his party wanted to find cross-party agreement on the issue, but added: "If we can't reach agreement then the parties have to go into the election with their positions."