JOHANN Lamont yesterday won support for a major review of Scottish Labour's relationship with Ed Miliband's UK party.

The probe is expected to consider devolving control of MPs' selection contests to Scotland, a controversial issue that could spark a civil war with her Westminster colleagues.

It will also look at introducing one-member, one-vote for future leadership contests north of the Border.

Labour was on the winning side in this month's referendum campaign, but victory was soured after the party lost support in its heartlands.

Of the four local authority areas won by the Yes campaign, two were Labour citadels: Glasgow and North Lanarkshire.

Yes won 53.5% in Glasgow and 51.1% in North Lanarkshire.

The losses triggered a bout of infighting and mutterings about the leadership of MSP Lamont, with senior party figures wanting her to make way for Westminster MP Jim Murphy.

However, Lamont was on the front foot yesterday in proposing a review that could lead to a shake-up of her party.

At a meeting of the Scottish Labour executive committee, she secured agreement for a rethink of the party's structures that will lead to further devolution from the UK party to Scotland.

Following Labour's heavy defeat to the SNP at the 2011 Holyrood ­election, an organisational review led by Murphy and MSP Sarah Boyack created the post of Scottish Labour leader, a role secured by Lamont.

However, Lamont feels it is time to have a second investigation, which will be undertaken by party chairman Jamie Glackin as well as an MSP and an MP.

Last year's Westminster selection scandal in Falkirk - in which dozens of new members were recruited to the party by the trade union Unite in a bid to help a potential candidate - exposed how Scottish Labour controls selections to Holyrood, but not to Westminster.

Although the remit was not finalised yesterday, the review will examine handing the power for all Scottish MP selections to the party north of the Border.

One insider said: "The MPs won't be happy about this at all, but it is a legacy of Unite's behaviour in Falkirk. It is long overdue."

The rules for electing Lamont's eventual successor will also be considered.

Miliband used the Falkirk ­ debacle to replace an electoral college system with one-member, one-vote for electing the UK Labour leader. The change did not apply to the Scottish leader, an anomaly the probe will examine.

Scottish Labour councillors also pay a portion of their salary to the party, cash that currently goes south. A source said the review would look at keeping the money in Scotland.

However, it is the selection of MPs that will trigger the biggest row.

Although Lamont is the leader of all elected representatives in Scotland, some MPs still have a dismissive attitude towards Holyrood.

A senior Labour source said the reform would be "symbolic" and bring MPs under the microscope of the party in Scotland.

Yesterday's agreement by the party's executive appears to signal that Lamont is safe in her job in the short term.

Labour's conference in Manchester last week was marred by briefings against Lamont by MPs and admirers of Murphy.

One Murphy ally is believed to have been caught bad mouthing Lamont and is now said to be "in hiding".

In a newspaper interview ­yesterday, Lamont said: "The next phase is 2016, and yes I want to be First Minister because I believe I have the life experience and I've got a commitment to change. I'm excited by the fact that having got past the referendum, that debate is so alive and so current."

She said of the Murphy rumours: "I've spoken to Jim and he doesn't know why it's happening either. He was very supportive."

However, one senior party figure was dismissive of Lamont's review, branding it "desperate".

He said: "The prevailing view is that we need a change at the top, not a review that tinkers with organisational change. She must go and go quickly."

A Scottish Labour spokesman said: "We will continue to learn lessons from the referendum and create a modern party ready to represent the people of Scotland."

SNP MSP James Dornan said: "With policies like cutting child benefit in real terms and promises to maintain Tory austerity plans, it is no wonder that Labour in Scotland is desperate to distance themselves from their own party's policies.

"People in Scotland's patience with Labour has run out after their referendum alliance with the Tories, which is why an opinion poll last week put support for the SNP at 49% and over 40,000 new members have joined the SNP since the referendum."