
Ukip leadership favourite Steven Woolfe gives the thumbs up sign as he recovers in hospital tonight after collapsing following an alleged dust-up with a fellow MEP.

Mr Woolfe was embroiled in an 'altercation' with another Ukip politician - said to be Mike Hookem - at a 'clear the air' meeting at the European Parliament in Strasbourg this morning.

The married father-of-one - who was marking his 49th birthday today - reportedly fell over at one point during the scuffle and banged his head.

Despite walking away from the fight, Mr Woolfe then collapsed and had a fit around two hours later - at around 11.20am UK time - and was rushed to hospital.

Steven Woolfe, pictured, gave a thumbs up gesture in hospital as he recovers from injuries sustained in a 'scuffle' following clear-the-air talks with fellow Ukip MEPs in Strasbourg today

Mr Woolfe, the favourite to become Ukip leader, collapsed at the European Parliament building in Strasbourg after being punched by another MEP at a 'clear the air' meeting. Images published by ITV News appear to show him sprawled unconscious on the floor

Mike Hookem is alleged to have been the other MEP involved in the dust-up at the meeting

At one point his injuries were thought to be life-threatening, but in a statement issued from his hospital bed this afternoon, Mr Woolfe said he was 'feeling brighter'.

Sources claimed the row was over Mr Woolfe's admission that he had considered defecting to the Tories after being 'enthused' by Theresa May's new direction.

Aides to Mr Hookem could not be contacted for most of the day, but a spokeswoman tonight denied that he had punched his colleague, insisting it had been a 'verbal altercation'.

In his statement tonight, Mr Woolfe said: 'The CT scan has shown that there is no blood clot in the brain.

'At the moment I am feeling brighter, happier, and smiling as ever.

'As a precaution, I am being kept in overnight awaiting secondary tests to make sure everything is fine.

'I would like everyone to know that the parliamentary staff, the Ukip MEPs with me and hospital staff have been brilliant. Their care has been exceptional.

'I am sitting up, and said to be looking well. The only consequence at the moment is a bit of numbness on the left hand side of my face.'

Nigel Farage, a close ally of Mr Woolfe (pictured left), said he was in 'serious' condition. He was initially thought to have suffered bleeding on the brain after collapsing

Pictures emerged showing Mr Woolfe receiving attention from paramedics after his collapse at around 11.20am UK time

After being told he was a 'joke' during the meeting, Mr Woolfe apparently took off his jacket and challenged Mr Hookem to 'settle this outside'.

A party source said: 'Words were said, and suddenly the pair had taken their jackets off and went outside to have a fight.

'Woolfe fell over at one stage during the fight and banged his head on some bars. It is thought he was only punched once. He then suffered a fit.'

Nigel Farage, who is still leader of Ukip, gave an impromptu press conference outside the hospital in Strasbourg tonight and announced an inquiry into the 'altercation'

A spokeswoman for Mr Hookem insisted it had been a 'verbal altercation' and denied that he had punched Mr Woolfe. 'Mike did not touch him,' she said.

Images published by ITV News this afternoon appear to show Mr Woolfe sprawled unconscious on the floor two hours later while someone tries to help him.

MIKE HOOKEM: NINE YEAR ARMY VETERAN AND UKIP DEFENCE SPOKESMAN Mike Hookem is Ukip's defence spokesman who has served as an MEP for Yorkshire and the Humber since 2014. A military veteran, Hookem joined the RAF at 17 before spending nine years as a commando engineer with the Royal Engineers. He describes himself as a 'working class lad from the west end of Hull'. He said he joined Ukip out of disillusionment with Labour. Hookem has urged Ukip to focus on winning over Labour voters and completed a spell as chairman of his regional party. He played a major role in the party's 2015 election campaign as one of Nigel Farage's shadow leadership team. Advertisement

STEVEN WOOLFE: A FRONT RUNNER FOR THE UKIP LEADERSHIP Steven Woolfe is one of Ukip's most senior figures and had been favourite to succeed Nigel Farage after the referendum. But a failure to submit his nomination papers on time left him knocked out of the race before it had even began. After Diane James won the leadership, the MEP for North West England - first elected in 2014 - hinted at talks with the Conservatives. But Ms James' resignation on Tuesday night threw him back into the limelight and he was installed as the bookies' front runner again. A criminal law barrister by training, Mr Woolfe, who turned 49 today and is married with a daughter, is a Catholic who was born in Manchester's Moss Side. Advertisement

Paramedics then attended the scene, before he was taken to hospital for

Interim leader Nigel Farage, an ally of Mr Woolfe and the leader of the 22 Ukip MEPs, said in a statement: '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.'

At an impromptu press conference outside the hospital later, Mr 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.

'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...

'I trust that overnight everything will be OK and he'll be released tomorrow.'

Mr Farage said he had not seen the episode and refused to name anyone involved.

'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,' he said.

Asked exactly what had occurred, Mr Farage said Ukip would 'have an inquiry and decide what to do'.

'I was in the room but what happened happened slightly outside of it ... I was physically close but didn't actually see it,' he said.

Mr Farage admitted it did not 'look good' for the party.

'You see third world parliaments where this sort of thing happens… It's not very grown up,' he said.

A spokeswoman for French national police said that the incident had not been reported to them and they had no current plans to investigate.

The interim Ukip leader visited Mr Woolfe at the hospital (pictured) and said his condition appeared to be improving

Mr Woolfe tweeted from his hospital bed in Strasbourg to thank staff after revealing that he was feeling brighter

'If someone decides to ring and make a complaint, we will of course follow it up,' she said.

Neil Hamilton, Ukip's leader in the Welsh Assembly, said he had been told by an eyewitness that there was an argument between some MEPs.

'It's most unfortunate but passions obviously run high,' he said.

He added that he had been told Mr Woolfe 'toppled over and hit his head on a glass window' after the confrontation, adding: 'It must have been quite a wallop, I guess, to have had the impact that it seems to have had.'

Mr Hamilton admitted the incident was not a great advert for the party, but added: 'Let's not generalise it - it's a dispute between one or two individuals. It's not good that they are public representatives of the party in the European Parliament and that's highly regrettable.'

Ukip MEP Roger Helmer was also at the initial meeting, where he said there was 'a lively exchange of views' although he did not see a physical clash.

He told the BBC: 'I've heard that he is in a serious condition, although I've heard that my colleague Gill Seymour, who was with him, is optimistic about his recovery.

'There were some lively exchanges of views. I think you'll find that's not uncommon in political meetings.'

A Ukip spokesman 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.'

Mr Hookem's spokeswoman could not be reached today, but party sources told MailOnline he was involved in the earlier altercation. There are reports that Mr Hookem has been uncontactable since the incident.

Potential rivals for the leadership including Suzanne Evans have wished Mr Woolfe a 'speedy recovery'.

Mr Woolfe's potential leadership rivals reacted to news of his collapse on Twitter

The fight took place on the Passerelle, the wrought iron bridge which crosses the Rhine river in front of the European Parliament.

Mr Woolfe is said to have suffered a second fit later on, before losing all feeling in one half of his body.

The shocking development comes after the Eurosceptic party was plunged into chaos following the shock resignation of Diane James from its top job.

Mrs James had been in charge for just 18 days but cited 'personal and professional' reasons for her departure, citing a lack of support among the party's MEPs and officials.

Bizarrely, Nigel Farage is now technically leader again as Ms James had marked her nomination forms 'VC' to signify she was signing under duress.

Suzanne Evans, a leading contender to be Ukip leader, said: 'Shocked to hear Steven Woolfe has apparently collapsed in the European Parliament in Strasbourg. Wishing him well for a speedy recovery.'

Former Farage spin doctor and outsider for the top job Raheem Kassam said: 'I have cancelled my appearance on BBC @daily_politics out of respect to @Steven_Woolfe who is currently being treated after collapsing.'

Arron Banks, who donated £1million to Ukip before the general election, warned critics of Mr Farage not to prevent Mr Woolfe - widely seen as the leader's preferred successor - from standing again.

He singled out the party's only MP Douglas Carswell and the leader in the Welsh Assembly Neil Hamilton - both ex-Conservative MPs.

'The Tory troublemakers and fifth columnists represent a small minority in our party, yet they use any opportunity they can to undermine those working tirelessly to hold the Government's feet to the flames. This ends today,' he said.

'If Neil Hamilton and Douglas Carswell remain in the party, and the NEC decide that Steven Woolfe cannot run for leader, I will be leaving Ukip.'

Earlier Mr Banks launched an outspoken attack on the 'circus clowns' running the party.

He lashed out at the NEC, which was heavily criticised for refusing to accept Mr Woolfe's candidacy for the leadership during the last contest because the papers were filed a few minutes late.

'This body is populated by a motley collection of amateurs; leftovers from a bygone age, when Ukip was a ragtag band of volunteers on the fringes of British politics.

'Watching them try to run the modern political movement that (Nigel) Farage built is like watching a team of circus clowns trying to carry out a pit stop at the Silverstone Grand Prix,' he wrote in the Guardian.

'If James hadn't put her name forward at the last minute, we would have had nothing but a rabble of no-name, no-talent nobodies to choose from. These people would be out of their depth in a paddling pool, and couldn't be more unfit to run a modern political party.'

The European Parliament chamber in Strasbourg. Mr Woolfe is said to have collapsed on a walkway in the building

The outside of the European Parliament building in Strasbourg, where MEPs sit for just a few days a month

Raheem Kassam, a former aide to Mr Farage, has complained that the party is beset by back-stabbing and duplicity.

'I, like ordinary Ukip members, am so tired of the games that are being played at the top of this party. There is so much corruption. There is so much duplicity. There are so many people shaking hands with one another and then knifing them in private. It has to stop,' he said.

Mr Woolfe has admitted he had flirted with defecting to the Tories after being barred from the last leadership race by the party's NEC.

Diane James, pictured leaving her home in Surrey today, cited 'personal and professional' reasons as she announced her surprised departure. She is believed to have signed her nomination papers 'VC' to denote 'under duress'

Nigel Farage is technically Ukip leader again, with Diane James (pictured right being congratulated by Mr Farage) having resigned just 18 days after being elected to replace him

The MEP said he had been 'enthused' by Theresa May's start to her premiership but in the end concluded that only Ukip could be relied upon to deliver on Brexit.

'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,' he said.

'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.'

Ukip's NEC will now meet on October 17 to agree a timetable for an election to find a permanent replacement for Ms James.

In her resignation statement, Ms James she said she was standing down for 'personal and professional' reasons, citing a lack of support among the party's MEPs and officials.

Ukip donor Arron Banks complained that the party was being run by 'circus clowns'

It is thought that her husband's ill-health may also have played a role, while Nigel Farage, who will head the party until a replacement is elected, pointed to an incident at London's Waterloo station in which she was verbally abused and spat at.

Mr Farage said he expects a new leader to be appointed before the end of November.

Former deputy leader Paul Nuttall, former deputy chairwoman Suzanne Evans, who has just returned to Ukip after a suspension, and Lisa Duffy, who came second to Ms James in the last leadership contest, are all said to be considering a leadership bid.

The back-biting came as Mr Farage accused the Conservatives of rebranding as Ukip after Mrs May's keynote address to the Tory Party conference.

'It made you realise the extent to which Ukip hadn't just pushed for, gained and helped to win a referendum, but actually we've changed the centre of gravity of British politics.