Who is Steven Woolfe, when did he become an MEP, was he a Ukip leader candidate and what’s he said about Alfie Evans?
The independent MEP has launched a campaign to make a law in support of little Alfie Evans who remains at Alder Hey hospital
INDEPENDENT MEP Steven Woolfe has come out in support of Alfie Evans as the toddler continues to cling to life at the Alder Hey hospital.
He has also launched a campaign to make a new "Alfie's Law" to help other parents going through the same thing. Here's the lowdown on who he is and what he's calling for.
Who is Steven Woolfe?
The 48-year-old was born in Moss Side in Manchester and has a black American grandmother, a Jewish grandmother and an Irish grandfather.
He worked as a lawyer in London, then as a general counsel for hedge fund managers before he was elected to the European Parliament in 2014 and stood as the UKIP candidate for Stockport in the general election in 2015.
He was dubbed as Nigel Farage's next successor after his resignation and gained support of other UKIP members, but was disqualified from the last leadership race for submitting a late application.
Woolfe was a Brexit supporter who blamed migration for Briton's lack of sympathy for refugees from war-torn countries.
On the eve of the EU referendum, Mr Woolfe wrote a poem about Brexit and read it to supporters to mark Mr Farage's final campaign speech.
It read: "As the sun fell on scapa fell,
I heard the news and final death knell,
Of England’s beaten heart, Destroyed from within,
By its own kith and kin
Who sort to break it apart."
After Diane James resigned from the party leadership, Woolfe was standing in the second UKIP leadership election of 2016, but withdrew from the contest and the party after he was allegedly injured by a fellow MEP.
Woolfe subsequently resigned from UKIP in October 2016, describing the party as "ungovernable".
Is Steven Woolfe an MEP?
Steven Woolfe is the Independent Member of European Parliament for North West England.
He is a key campaigner for controlled migration and for a Global Brexit having dedicated his political career to the UK leaving the EU.
Prior to becoming an MEP, Steven previously acted as a legal and regulatory consultant to financial institutions.
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What has he said about Alfie Evans?
Steven Woolfe has launched the ‘Alfie’s Law’ campaign in a bid to change rules that would allow parents to make informed decisions about their sick child’s care and treatment.
Think tank Parliament Street is partnering with the MEP for the cause.
In a post on Mr Woolfe's Facebook page, the think tank said: "While we absolutely recognise the skill and dedication of medical professionals in the UK, we stand by the moral rights of parents - and their children - to make their informed decisions about their care and treatment”.
During an emotional interview on Good Morning Britain on April 27, Mr Woolfe explained how Alfie's Law could help parents in the future who might be going through the same thing.
He said: “We had a 21-year-old man, not university educated, no law degree, having to go to the High Court hearing here in London and battle to save [Alfie’s] life against some of the most expensive, well-paid QCs in the country, paid for by the state through the NHS with a whole panel and the justice system in there.
“By having what we believe an independent advocate, acting for them, not selected by the state but out of a panel of people, they could have somebody on their side from the very beginning.”
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