Key facts
- Piddington residents voted 285 to 26 in favor of independence from the UK.
- The referendum was a protest against plans to house asylum seekers at a former military site.
- Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy acknowledged community concerns and stated the government is listening.
- A public consultation on the asylum housing plans runs until September 17.
Residents of Piddington, Oxfordshire, have symbolically voted to leave the UK in protest against government plans to house over 1,200 asylum seekers at a former Ministry of Defense site. The non-binding referendum, organized by the local parish council, saw 285 villagers vote for independence, 26 against, and one ballot spoilt.
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy acknowledged the "serious frustration" indicated by the result and stated the government is working to address the asylum system's backlog. She noted that poorer communities have often borne a disproportionate share of temporary accommodation.
Opposition politicians, including Reform UK MPs Suella Braverman and Sara Pochin, and Conservative Leader Kemi Badenoch, have seized on the issue, with Braverman stating residents were "terrified" and "no one is listening to their voices."
Some residents have expressed concern that the village has become a political flashpoint, with one resident, Rachel, telling the BBC she had "never experienced the level of overt racism that we’re witnessing."