'Leave my wife alone' says François Fillon as French presidential contender defends British spouse at mass Paris rally

[Dani ♡]

A crowd of 15,000 gave an emotional François Fillon and his British wife an ovation on Sunday as the front-running French presidential contender sought to allay fears his electoral hopes could founder over allegations she was paid for a fake job as his parliamentary assistant. The nominee for the centre-Right party, Les Républicains, was tipped to win the French presidential election after winning primaries in November - most likely by winning a second round battle against far-Right rival Marine Le Pen. But his campaign hit huge turbulence last week over a report in Le Canard Enchainé, the satirical weekly, that his Welsh-born wife had been paid €500,000 (£426,000) as parliamentary assistant to her husband and his replacement, when she had previously made it clear she steered clear of his political life.