A lawmaker for the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) has been hospitalized after being involved in an altercation with at least one colleague at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France.
Steven Woolfe, who represents the anti-immigration party as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP), was allegedly punched by a fellow UKIP lawmaker at a meeting on Thursday. The BBC, citing anonymous sources, reports that Woolfe had two seizures in hospital and doctors feared that he was bleeding on the brain. The party formerly led by Nigel Farage has been beset by reports of factional infighting.
Woolfe had recently announced his intention to stand for the party leadership, following the resignation of Diane James from the position after only 18 days of holding it. He had intended to run in an earlier leadership election, after Farage stepped down as leader in July, but failed to file the proper paperwork in time.
He released a statement three hours after the incident, saying “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.”
[BBC]
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