SOUTHAMPTON Itchen MP John Denham is playing a key role in one of the biggest political controversies of the year.

Mr Denham, 63, is backing the “English votes for English laws” campaign as well as calls for the creation of an English Labour party.

It follows Scotland’s decision to reject independence and thus preserve the 300-year-old Union.

The historic ‘No’ vote came after Britain’s political leaders promised that Holyrood would be given new powers if Scotland stayed part of the UK.

But Mr Denham says plans to give Scotland a greater say in its own affairs should be matched by similar proposals for England.

The former shadow Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, is particularly keen to see the regions given greater autonomy.

He has spoken out amid a growing row over the future role of Scottish MPs sitting at Westminster.

Labour leader Ed Miliband has sparked fury by rejecting plans to prevent them from voting on matters that affect only England and Wales.

Several Labour figures representing English constituencies fear the party will suffer a backlash from the public at next May’s General Election if it refuses to dilute the voting power of Scottish MPs in the Commons.

But Mr Miliband fears that any attempt to curb their rights could cripple a future Labour government.

He suspects the party would fail to get proposed new laws through the Commons without its large block of MPs from Scotland, where it won 41 of the 59 seats in the 2010 election.

Senior Labour MPs, including Mr Denham and former culture secretary Ben Bradshaw, met in private during last week’s Labour Party conference.

Speaking afterwards, Mr Bradshaw cited what he described as the “unfairness” of Scottish MPs voting on exclusively English legislation.

He added: “There are numerous ways you can address this, all very complex.

“You can’t do it in the way David Cameron seems to want to do – on the back of a fag packet.”

Mr Denham, who also attended the meeting, is a former parliamentary aide to Mr Miliband.

His Southampton constituency, which he has represented since 1992, is almost as far from Scotland as it is possible to travel within the UK.

But that has not stopped the former frontbencher from maintaining a close interest in the future political landscape of the British Isles.

He backed the ‘No’ campaign and travelled to Scotland armed with copies of the Daily Echo, which supported the Better Together camp.

Following the outcome of the referendum, he has backed calls for the creation of an English Labour party.

Wales and Scotland have their own Labour parties, with their own conferences and policies, but England has no equivalent.

Last night Mr Denham dismissed suggestions of a revolt by Labour MPs and rumours of a mutiny against Mr Miliband.

But he added: “As more powers are devolved to Scotland, English people need a greater say over their affairs.

“We also need a lot more power to be taken out of London.

“England is too centralised. This isn’t just about reducing the influence of Scottish MPs at Westminster, it’s also about getting English decisions out of Westminster.”

Mr Denham is standing aside at next year’s General Election following two decades of frontline politics in which he has held several Cabinet and shadow Cabinet positions.