Papers mull election fallout

The picture of Jacques Chirac leaving a polling station after voting, beams confidently out of several front pages.

All agree that his record victory in the presidential election - with 82 per cent of the vote - was a crushing blow to his far-right rival.

The Independent says the French people, shaken by Jean-Marie Le Pen's breakthrough in the first round of the presidential election, gave a deafening roar of "non" to the man who claimed to speak for the people.

But the Daily Telegraph points out that with 18 per cent of the vote, Mr Le Pen still attracted six million votes, more than he did in the first round, showing that his views have become a fixture in French life.

Balance of power

The Guardian says this support is likely to be automatically transferred to the National Front's candidates in June's parliamentary polls and could leave the far-right party holding the balance of power in nearly half of French constituencies.

Unless the left can recover from its first round defeat, it fears the National Front is likely to become the country's second largest party.

In its editorial the Times sees Mr Chirac emerging more as a sort of re-elected king.

It warns that he could, like other European monarchs, become constitutional in nature.

To avoid being left powerless, the paper says he needs to secure a stable majority in the National Assembly elections.

As it points out, a vast majority against a fanatic does not automatically mean he will assume full power.

Race row

The Guardian believes Iain Duncan Smith's decision to sack Ann Winterton from his shadow cabinet is a powerful demonstration of his determination to root out racism from the Conservative Party.

The Independent says the decision to sack her, for telling a racist joke at a rugby club, was more over concern that the party had become embroiled in a damaging race row.

And The Sun is not convinced her going is the end of the matter. It believes the Tories have still to understand that racism isn't just evil, it is also unfashionable and a vote loser.

First lady?

Cherie Blair is under fire in the Daily Express for adopting what it describes as a Hilary Clinton role by playing a central part in a series of seminars at Number 10, including chairing a panel discussion on transport policy.

It reports that Opposition MPs believe she is getting ideas above her station.

The Daily Mail says Downing Street was clearly nervous about comparisons with Mrs Clinton, and dismissed suggestions that Mrs Blair was using her status to get her hands on the levers of power.

But according to the Telegraph, Mr Blair was totally unapologetic, insisting that these were not policy-making events and she had not been paid for the work.

Fit foot

There is nothing special about a picture of David Beckham and his wife Victoria appearing on the front pages of the Mail, the Express and others - unless you are an England football fan.

The photograph, outside a London restaurant, shows him walking with only a sock over his left foot, and no plaster.

As the Daily Mirror headline put it, "The Foot walks".

The Sun claims its prayers have been answered; he is recovering four weeks early from his broken toe and on target for World Cup glory.