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Steven Woolfe 'smiling and well' after alleged fight with Ukip MEP Steven Woolfe 'smiling and well' after alleged fight with Ukip MEP
(35 minutes later)
The Ukip leadership favourite, Steven Woolfe, has said he is well and “smiling as ever” after he collapsed following an alleged altercation during a meeting of the party’s MEPs in Strasbourg. The Ukip leadership favourite, Steven Woolfe, has been hospitalised after a dramatic altercation with a fellow MEP, after a meeting of the party in the European parliament.
The North West England MEP was taken to hospital in a serious condition on Thursday morning after collapsing at the European parliament in Strasbourg. Woolfe, who later said he was recovering well and “smiling as ever”, collapsed during a vote in Strasbourg and was taken to hospital in a serious condition.
Woolfe’s injuries are understood to have occurred during the alleged confrontation with fellow Ukip MEP Mike Hookem after a tense meeting on Thursday morning, according to a source close to the party. Earlier that morning Woolfe had allegedly been involved in a confrontation with his fellow Ukip MEP Mike Hookem after a tense meeting , which was intended to “clear the air” with colleagues.
“I am feeling brighter, happier and smiling as ever. I am sitting up and said to look well,” Woolfe said in a statement from hospital. “The CT scan has shown that there is no blood clot in the brain. The only consequence at the moment is a bit of numbness on the left hand side of my face. I am being kept in overnight awaiting secondary tests to make sure everything is fine.” The party was plunged into turmoil hours earlier when the MEP Diane James resigned as leader after just 18 days in the position, and then further by Woolfe’s admission that he had considered defecting to the Tories, before declaring he would stand for the Ukip leadership.
A Ukip source said Woolfe had had two “epileptic-like fits”, and started to feel numbness on the left hand side of his body after the alleged fracas . He lost consciousness, but is now sitting up and speaking to colleagues. A Ukip source said Woolfe had had two “epileptic-like fits”, and started to feel numbness on one side of his body in the hours after the alleged altercation. He then lost consciousness but tests confirmed there had been no bleeding on the brain.
Woolfe was alleged to have been confronted by Hookem – the party’s defence spokesman who served in the RAF and the Royal Engineers – during the meeting. The disagreement arose over reports that he had considered defecting to the Conservatives. “I am feeling brighter, happier and smiling as ever. I am sitting up and said to look well,” Woolfe said in a statement from hospital on Thursday afternoon. “The CT scan has shown that there is no blood clot in the brain. The only consequence at the moment is a bit of numbness on the left hand side of my face. I am being kept in overnight awaiting secondary tests to make sure everything is fine.”
Hookem is understood to have said “a few choice words” to Woolfe about defecting to the Tories. Woolfe was alleged to have been confronted by Hookem – the party’s defence spokesman, who served in the RAF and Royal Engineers – during the meeting. Hookem is understood to have said “a few choice words” to Woolfe about defecting to the Tories.
“Steven Woolfe has then taken his jacket off, walked over and said: ‘Right you, outside now’ or words to that effect,” the source told the Guardian. “They went outside and Steven Woolfe got the brunt of it.” “Steven Woolfe has then taken his jacket off, walked over and said: ‘Right you, outside now’ or words to that effect,” a source close to the party told the Guardian. “They went outside and Steven Woolfe got the brunt of it.”
It is understood that Woolfe walked away from the alleged confrontation at around 10am and appeared well enough to vote in the parliament half an hour later. However, he left midway through the vote and collapsed on a walkway at around 12.30pm. It is understood that Woolfe struck his head but walked away from the alleged altercation at about 10am, and appeared well enough to vote in the parliament half an hour later. However, he left midway through the vote and collapsed on a walkway at about 12.30pm. ITV News pictured the MEP shortly after his collapse, sprawled face down with his belongings strewn around him.
After Woolfe was taken to hospital, 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.” The MEP Nathan Gill, a friend of Woolfe and his campaign manager, accompanied Woolfe to hospital, followed by Ukip’s interim leader, Nigel Farage, who said he had “feared for [Woolfe’s] life”.
Farage later 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.” Speaking to reporters after visiting Woolfe in hospital, Farage said: “He’s in a much better place than he was a few hours ago. He did, as you know, collapse coming out of the chamber during the voting session, and hit the ground pretty hard. He has suffered two seizures, one quite major one, which is obviously pretty serious.
MEP Nathan Gill, Woolfe’s friend and campaign manager, is with him in the Strasbourg hospital. “He did lose consciousness for a bit so things are pretty bad. He has had a series of scans. I’m pleased to say there is no bleeding on the brain and they’ve not found any clots. He is being kept in overnight for observation. He still has a bit of numbness down the left side of his face so it is a pretty serious medical incident but he’s sitting up in bed and he’s feeling a lot better.”
Raheem Kassam, Farage’s former adviser, had earlier said Woolfe’s condition was believed to be “life-threatening”.
Ukip’s MEPs had been invited to come and “clear the air” amid the crisis sparked by Diane James’s resignation as leader and Woolfe’s admission that he had considered defecting to the Tories.
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”.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.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.
Strasbourg police said they had not been called to investigate, and it is understood no complaint has been made by Woolfe. Strasbourg police said they had not been called to investigate, and it is understood that no complaint has been made by Woolfe. Farage refused to name Hookem as the other MEP involved.
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.” “It’s two grown men getting involved in an altercation. It’s not very seemly behaviour but I’m not today going to get involved in the blame game or name names or say who did what,” Farage said.
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.” 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, earlier 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.” Farage’s former aide Raheem Kassam, who is also running to be Ukip leader, earlier 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,” he tweeted. “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 announced on Wednesday that he was reviving his bid to become the Ukip leader after the resignation of James, who cited lack of support from colleagues as her reason for stepping down.
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.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. 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.”“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.”
Hamilton said a culture of abuse in the party had been allowed to grow . “There is, actually, too much violence going on in Ukip generally at the moment. I don’t mean physical violence, but stuff which is being traded online, some pretty unpleasant things that are being said,” he said.
“This is a cancer which must be stamped out in the party,” he said, adding “[it] should have been stamped out already”.