U.K. politician hospitalized after "altercation" with colleagues

LONDON -- Britain’s right-wing U.K. Independence Party said Thursday that one of its European Parliament members (MEPs) was left hospitalized in serious condition after an “altercation” with colleagues.

Steven Woolfe -- the front-runner to be UKIP’s next leader -- suffered seizures and lost consciousness after clashing with another lawmaker Thursday morning during a meeting of party lawmakers at the legislative building in Strasbourg, France. 

CBS News partner network Sky News said Woolfe was being treated for suspected bleeding on the brain, but that his condition had improved since reaching the emergency room, and he was “conscious and recovering.”

UKIP leader Nigel Farage said Woolfe was initially in a serious condition and “things were pretty bad.” But he said Thursday afternoon that Woolfe was “in a much better place than he was a few hours ago.”

Woolfe himself later told the Reuters news agency he was “feeling brighter, happier, and smiling as ever. There is no blood clot in the brain.”

Farage said he was launching an inquiry into the violence, which he said “shouldn’t have happened.” He declined to identify the other party member involved in what he termed “an altercation.”

Strasbourg police said the incident had not been reported to the force.

According to media reports, Woolfe was punched during a fistfight with another lawmaker, hit his head and collapsed a little while later.

UKIP said Woolfe had two “epileptic-like fits” and lost consciousness. An image published by ITV News showed a man resembling Woolfe apparently unconscious on a walkway inside the Strasbourg building, just outside the parliament chamber. 

The euroskeptic U.K. Independence Party was instrumental in getting Britain to hold a referendum on EU membership, which ended in a June 23 vote to leave the union, or “Brexit.”

Since then, however, it has been torn by infighting.

Long-time leader Farage stepped down after the referendum, and was replaced by Diane James. She quit Tuesday after just 18 days -- leaving Farage interim leader.

Sky News sources said the altercation came during a meeting among all of UKIP’s 24 MEPs, called to “clear the air” after remarks Woolfe had made earlier suggesting he might leave UKIP and go instead to the Conservative Party, which currently leads the British government.

Those remarks came before Diane James made it clear she would not seek to remain in the leadership role, opening the position back up for Woolfe to consider -- which he said he was doing. 

Apparently some colleagues challenged Woolfe over his vacillating stance on UKIP during Thursday’s meeting, and it escalated into an argument and then a fight with one man in particular.