Top of the list were better childcare provision, women's health and violence against women.The crucial part came when Ms Summers set out to persuade Mr Keating and his predominantly macho colleagues to take the research seriously. Men had to watch videos of Ms Summers's women's groups discussing them. Mr Keating was made to change his language, incorporate women into his speeches, soften his tone, and acknowledge whenever he could that women had an extra burden on top of whatever other work they did, of raising a family.In Britain, research illustrated the problem that Labour was ahead among younger women but they tended to vote less frequently than older women. Nor could Labour assume that this younger group would automatically stay Labour. Research showed that, as they age, women were more likely than men to switch alliegance to the Tories.Further work noted that women tended to declare themselves uninterested in politics, but would go on to discuss national issues such education, unemployment, pensions or health care with passion. While men had a tendency to talk in abstractions, women spoke more about "people".

More worryingly, older women were susceptible to the argument that Britain had declined as a power. That made them more hostile than men to the EU and to devolution, sentiments helpful to the Conservatives. As one senior Labour figure put it: "The Tories had never taken older women for granted. These issues were grounds on which they were playing."These findings were distilled into Winning Words, which was presented last year to the Shadow Cabinet and National Executive Committee.Recently, the committee has reconvened. Concerns over how females might react to Mr Blair and his team have been heightened by the US election, where Bill Clinton romped home on the back of the "mom's vote".Ms Short said: "This is really serious, high-quality work.

It is now being taken very seriously at all levels of the party.". For a grown-up, Dan Crawford is a bit of a brick In fact he's a jolly good egg. For he is turning the adventures of Enid Blyton's Famous Five - Julian, Dick, Anne, their tomboy cousin George and Timmy the dog - into a musical. Two hundred children crowded into a theatre in Islington, north London, last week to audition for the roles of the wholesome foursome who, in Blyton's timeless middle-class England, sally forth from Kirrin Cottage to do battle with smugglers, pirates and spies, fortified by frequent picnics supplied by their Aunt Fanny - washed down, of course, with lashings of ginger beer. The show, which starts a nationwide tour in Basildon on 30 January, could be the surprise hit of 1997. It is to play a week in each of 28 towns until mid-August, and the bookings are still coming in A West End run is being discussed.