And today a Rowntree Reform Trust State of the Nation poll conducted by Mori reveals a

And today, a Rowntree Reform Trust "State of the Nation" poll, conducted by Mori, reveals a massive and consistent public consensus for change at the very heart of government in Britain. The elites in both parties simply sat out or sat on any demands for change, confident the majority of voters cared mainly about bread-and-butter issues. Now there are significant issues, such as freedom of information and Scottish devolution, on which the leaderships of the two parties are unable to make the establishment deal stick. The British constitution has survived unchanged since the Twenties largely because, once in government, neither Conservative nor Labour Cabinets were prepared to sacrifice any real power in pursuit of democratic reform, no matter what they had said in opposition. The collapse of the bipartisan consensus between the Labour and Tory leaderships prefigures larger divisions between the parties on more fundamental questions. The furore in the House of Commons over Lord Nolan's modest proposals to clear it of sleaze provides a foretaste of future conflicts over constitutional reform in Britain. Sources have suggested that she would have divided loyalties over issues such as the minimum wage.Mr Morris warned that Mr Dromey might "carve up" union policies "over the dinner table" to suit Labour and his close ally Labour leader Tony Blair.The remark appeared to signify a new low in the bitter contest for the union's top post.In response, Mr Dromey said yesterday on BBC Radio 4: "It is highly unfortunate that Bill attacked my wife, and it is sexist claptrap to suggest she can't look after her constituents and the interests of the Labour Party, and that I can't look after the interest of my members and rebuild theT&G." He said the couple both had a "very clear view" about the nature of the relationship, which was "built on independence and integrity''.. BY JOJO MOYES Bill Morris, the general secretary of the Transport and General Workers' Union, was accused of "sexist claptrap" as the union leadership battle became personal yesterday. Jack Dromey, challenger in the forthcoming election, attacked Mr Morris after his wife, Harriet Harman, Labour's employment spokesman, was brought into the contest.Mr Morris has questioned Mr Dromey's suitability because of his marriage.

Venta, near the modern village of Caistor St Edmund, was in Roman times the imperially designated purpose- built new capital of the Iceni tribe after its revolt under Boudicca had been crushed by the Roman military.The site of the ancient town is today owned and managed by the Norfolk Archaeological Trust, in co-operation with whom Mr Cott has been carrying out his work.Ever since aerial reconnaissance work in 1977, archaeologists had speculated that a dark oval patch visible from the air in a field south of Venta might be the remnants of an amphitheatre. Now Mr Cott's work has proved that the archaeological speculation was well-founded.The newly discovered Norfolk amphitheatre is one of only 10 known to exist in Britain and was almost certainly built within 100 years of the construction of the Roman empire's greatest amphitheatre, the Colosseum in Rome.. Built in the late 1st or 2nd century AD, the amphitheatre would have been used for gladiatorial contests, fights between animals and men, often convicted criminals, and animal-baiting.It was constructed just south of the Roman town of Venta Icenorum, of which only the defences still survive. It would have accommodated between 5,000 and 10,000 spectators.The main entrance faced south, while at the northern end there was a short corridor leading to a series of rooms, almost certainly once used to accommodate gladiators and animals waiting to do battle.The arena itself was about 40 metres long and 34 metres wide and Mr Cott's remote sensing equipment even succeeded in recording part of what was probably its metalled surface.At each side of the arena there appears to have been a small alcove, probably to house statues of the Roman goddess of retribution, Nemesis.Mr Cott's survey yielded data, which when processed in a computer, produces the equivalent of an X-ray of what lies beneath the ground. BY DAVID KEYS Archaeology Correspondent An amateur archaeologist has discovered a Roman amphitheatre in Norfolk with the help of home-made remote-sensing equipment.Peter Cott, a retired electrical engineer, found the 1, 900-year-old stone arena by measuring differences in electrical resistance in the ground.The amphitheatre, near Norwich, was oval and measured up to 80 metres from north to south and up to 70 metres from east to west. It will make passing the test a bit harder, but it does nothing for road safety. People don't have crashes because they are unaware of what a 30mph road sign looks like."He said he believed ministers had shied away from the computerised test "partly because they did not want to be seen as conforming too readily to European directives".Rob Gifford, director of the Parliamentary Advisory Committee on Transport Safety, said: "I suspect ministers were worried about introducing a test that many young people would fail .. They have rejected safety for electoral convenience.".

Hazard perception is the ability to see potential danger which many inexperienced drivers lack.In announcing the theory test last week, Mr Norris cited computer difficulties and cost in rejecting the more sophisticated test, and stressed that the new test would improve road safety.Tenderers for the new written test will be given a three-year contract, possibly with an extension of two, which means that a computerised test will not be introduced until 2001 at the earliest.However, according to unofficial Department of Transport sources, a computer program had been fully developed and would have been ready to use by the deadline of July 1996.Andrew Howard, the AA's head of road safety, said: "We are very disappointed that the Government has committed itself to a pencil and paper test. Farmers get equally irritated when we get cut off and we go down the road and they are still using water for car washes.". BY CHRISTIAN WOLMAR Ministers blocked a plan to introduce a more stringent driving test using computers because of Euroscepticism and fear of alienating young voters, critics claim. Last week, Steven Norris, the minister for roads, announced that the new theory test, made mandatory by a European Commission directive, would be a pencil and paper multiple-choice questionnaire, instead of the computerised test previously in envisaged.In February 1994, John MacGregor, then Secretary of State for Transport, promised that the new test would be a "separate form of test that would increase hazard perception" and "take fullest advantage of technological improvements". Baking varieties demand large quantities of water both to attain the correct size and to keep the tubers from developing common scab.Water is sprayed on the crops by "guns" or 230ft (70m) booms, which distribute fine droplets six feet (2m) above the plants."Less than 1 per cent of water is used for farmers' spray irrigation but we are using it at a time when there is greatest pressure on supplies," Mr Wilson said "Townies notice it when there is a hosepipe ban.