The Ukip leadership favourite, Steven Woolfe,
has been taken to hospital in a serious condition after collapsing
following an altercation during a meeting of the party’s MEPs in
Strasbourg.
The North West England MEP is said to have been taken ill at the parliament in Strasbourg on Thursday.
Ukip’s interim leader, Nigel Farage, said: “I deeply regret that
following an altercation that took place at a meeting of Ukip MEPs this
morning that Steven Woolfe subsequently collapsed and was taken to
hospital. His condition is serious.”
Later Farage told the Telegraph: “Things are mildly better. I have
just spoken to Mr Woolfe and I will be going to visit him later this
afternoon. We are still waiting for the results. I will be going go
visit him in hospital.”
Raheem Kassam, Farage’s former adviser, had earlier said Woolfe’s condition was believed to be “life-threatening”.
Sources familiar with the incident said that Woolfe had been punched
during the meeting of MEPs, but was not immediately taken ill. He
subsequently collapsed as they went in to vote at the European
parliament.
Ukip’s MEPs were invited to come and “clear the air” amid the
crisis sparked by Diane James’s resignation as leader and Woolfe’s
admission he had considered defecting to the Tories.
After an angry discussion, Woolfe is said to have asked a colleague
to move the discussion outside the meeting, and to have been punched
shortly afterwards.
The source told the Guardian that Farage was not the person who threw the punch.
After the incident, Woolfe reportedly told colleagues it had been
“difficult” but did not tell them exactly what had happened and appeared
well until he collapsed after going in to vote.
Neil Hamilton, Ukip’s leader in the Welsh assembly, said he had been
told by colleagues in the European parliament that Woolfe had “picked a
fight with one of them and came off worse”.
Hamilton told the BBC he had heard from a witness that Woolfe had
bleeding on the brain, after he was knocked over and hit his head. “He
toppled over and hit his head on a glass window so it must have been
quite a wallop,” said Hamilton.
It is understood Woolfe, Farage and other MEPs had been meeting
James, who left her post on Tuesday just 18 days after being elected.
Ukip spokesman Gawain Towler said: “Steven Woolfe MEP was taken
suddenly ill in the European parliament building in Strasbourg this
morning. He has been taken to hospital in the city and he is undergoing
tests.”
Suzanne Evans, Ukip’s former deputy chair who is said to be
considering her own leadership bid, tweeted: “Shocked to hear Steven
Woolfe has apparently collapsed in the European Parliament in
Strasbourg. Wishing him well for a speedy recovery.”
Kassam, who is also running to be Ukip leader, said he was dropping
out of an appearance on the BBC’s Daily Politics out of respect for
Woolfe. “I really hope Steven-Woolfe is okay. Plz send him your best
wishes.”
Woolfe announced on Wednesday that he was reviving his bid to become
Ukip leader after James quit. James had cited a lack of support from
colleagues as she plunged the party into turmoil.
Woolfe was blocked from running in the previous contest to succeed Farage – for which he was the favourite – after submitting his forms 17 minutes late.
There had long been rumours Woolfe was poised to defect to the
Tories, which he addressed in a statement released on Wednesday. “I have
been enthused by the start to Theresa May’s premiership,” he said. “Her
support of new grammar schools, her words on social mobility and the
growing evidence that she is committed to a clean Brexit prompted me, as
it did many of my friends and colleagues, to wonder whether our future
was within her new Conservative party.
“However, having watched the prime minister’s speech on Sunday, I
came to the conclusion that only a strong Ukip can guarantee Brexit is
delivered in full, and only our party can stand up for the communities
of the Midlands and the north.”
COPY https://www.theguardian.com/politics/
Ukip MEP in 'serious condition' after altercation 
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