Anti-Faragist elements in UKIP are seeking to censure their leader over his support for Donald Trump. The party’s beleaguered NEC is meeting today to discuss the punishment for Steven Woolfe and Mike Hookem, as well as the rules on whether Woolfe, Raheem Kassam and Suzanne Evans are allowed to stand in the leadership election. If Woolfe receives any sort of suspension he will theoretically lose his status as a member “in good standing”, leaving him ineligible. Intriguingly there are also moves afoot to issue some sort of punishment against Farage for his trips to the States to appear on stage with The Donald. Unlikely to succeed but a measure of how factional the UKIP NEC has become… 

After the surprise resignation of new UKIP leader Diane James, Guido brings you the latest runners and riders in UKIP’s leadership battle (odds from Betfair):

Paul Nuttall – Evens

Forever in Farage’s shadow, Nuttall has been deputy leader of UKIP for the last six years. His Liverpudlian roots could appeal to the working class north in a way that Evans or Kassam could only ever dream. The favourite after the fracas despite not yet confirming that he is standing…

Steven Woolfe – 2/1

The front runner in the last leadership contest until he forgot to submit his papers on time. Woolfe seemed to take the latest UKIP fight literally when he was in an alleged punch up with fellow MEP Mike Hookem. No longer the favourite post fracas and leaking of his talks with the Conservative Party.

Suzanne Evans – 4/1

Suzanne Evans was a  Conservative Party councillor who defected to UKIP in 2013.  Highly praised for writing UKIP’s 2015 manifesto, she was later suspended from the party for criticising a fellow candidate. Close to Carswell. Evans’s suspension has lapsed just in time for the latest contest.

Raheem Kassam – 15/1

Nigel Farage’s former chief of staff and current London editor of Breitbart, Kassam has already launched his online campaign to be leader with the slogan “Make UKIP great again” but his odds have been widening in the last few days. Most observers think he’s really running for the deputy-leader spot. The former Conservative Party activist is making a big thing of attacking “Blue Kippers”. Like Nigel he’s very much a Marmite character.

Bill Etheridge – 27/1

MEP for the West Midlands and another former Conservative Party member. In the last leadership election he was accused of cheating by his fiancee when she found a half empty packet of Viagra in his car. Lad.

UKIP’s NEC is meeting this coming Monday to determine rules and timeframe…

UPDATE: Guido is told that Peter Whittle AM, UKIP’s former candidate for London mayor is also in the running (currently 27/1). A cultured fellow, if Guido’s memory serves him right he too is also a former Conservative Party member.

In scenes reminiscent of the OJ trial, Mike Hookem has shown the world his hands as he tries to prove his innocence over the Steven Woolfe bust up. He asks: “Can you see any bruising or abrasions?” The case for the defence in UKIP’s internal inquiry…

BBC: .@UKIP MEP Mike Hookem says “no punches were thrown” in @Steven_Woolfe collapse https://t.co/TV61kmcSEf

— + BREAKING + EIL + (@BREAKING_EIL) October 7, 2016

“There was no punches thrown, there was no face slapping, there was no digs, there was nothing… a bit of a scuffle”

Woolfe claims Hookem “landed a blow“. Who’s telling the truth?

UPDATE: Hookem tells Sky News that Woolfe asked him to take it outside “mano y mano” and that Woolfe “came at me”. He insists “there was no punches thrown”, just “girl on girl” “handbags at dawn”…

Mike Hookem says Steven Woolfe “came at me” and no punches were thrown in their “silly tussle” https://t.co/r1b7z8g5zs

— Sky News (@SkyNews) October 7, 2016

“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 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.”

Good news.

UKIP’s party chairman is facing calls from prominent Kippers to suspend Neil Hamilton after he told the BBC Steven Woolfe had “picked a fight and came off worse”. Hamilton handled the issue with his customary charm as Woolfe’s condition remained unknown. It has gone down very badly with the party hierarchy.