Woolfe quits Ukip and complains over altercation

The news comes after it was revealed that the outcome of the Ukip investigation into a clash between two of its MEPs will be announced before its leadership battle is re-run, the party chairman has insisted.

Paul Oakden warned that the party may not have a new leader until after Christmas as he said there was no need to “panic”.

The party chairman said all those “in and around” the area where MEPs Mr Woolfe and Hull man Mike Hookem had their “altercation” had been preliminarily questioned over the incident.

The MEPs have conflicting versions of events with Mr Woolfe, previously the front runner for the leadership, saying the injuries which saw him admitted to hospital after the encounter were not consistent with just a fall or seizure, while Mr Hookem insists he did not hit his colleague.

Describing the altercation as “one small incident”, Mr Oakden told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme: “The investigation will certainly conclude before the close of nominations for the leadership campaign.”

As Ukip’s national executive committee meets to set out the rules of the new leadership contest after Diane James quit the post after just 18 days claiming a lack of internal support, Mr Oakden insisted there was no rush to replace her.

“We are going to be taking our time. We are going to be doing it in a very calm and collected fashion to make sure that we get the right results.

“There is no need to rush. There isn’t any need to panic ourselves into getting a new leader into place quickly.”

Mr Oakden said it was up to Mr Woolfe to decide if he was fit enough to stand for the leadership.

“That’s for Steven to say. We are all delighted that Steven is recovering, although, obviously, he is still feeling somewhat under the weather after what appears to have been a very serious medical incident.

“So, only he can say whether he is in full fitness and ready to fight a leadership campaign,” he said.

Mr Oakden said he saw no “impediments” to Suzanne Evans standing in the election, after she was deemed ineligible last time.

The Ukip chairman insisted he had supported Ms James in her role as leader.