1998 Jaguar XJR gear shift lever flashes

1998 Jaguar XJR V8 Wheel Drive Type unknown Automatic 37150 miles. The car has a keyless entry security system. Normally a red light adjacent to Park on the gear shift lever flashes intermittently when the system is armed (i.e. after I have left the car and pressed the lock button on the keyless entry fob) but now this light is steady (as opposed to flashing) and it is on all the time and none of the keyless entry security system functions work, they won't open the doors and they won't disarm the alarm. The batteries in the keyless entry fobs are only a year old. Now the car won't start at all.