Key facts
- Piddington residents voted 285 to 26 in favor of independence from the UK.
- The referendum was a protest against plans to house 1,256 male asylum seekers.
Residents of Piddington, Oxfordshire, voted overwhelmingly in a symbolic referendum to leave the UK in protest of plans to house over 1,000 asylum seekers at a nearby former military base. The vote highlights local opposition to the Home Office's proposal.
The vote highlights local opposition to government asylum housing plans and raises questions about community engagement and the distribution of burdens across different areas.
Residents of Piddington, an Oxfordshire village, have voted overwhelmingly in a symbolic referendum to become an independent state in protest against government plans to house over 1,000 male asylum seekers at a former military base. The vote, organized by local campaigners, saw 285 out of 312 residents cast their ballot in favor of secession.
The Home Office plans to house up to 1,256 male asylum seekers at MoD Bicester, a site located between the villages of Piddington and Upper and Lower Arncott. The proposal, announced in June as part of wider efforts to move migrants out of hotels, has drawn criticism for a perceived lack of local community engagement and feasibility assessments.
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy acknowledged the distress such changes can cause and stated the government is listening to the concerns, while also highlighting efforts to process asylum claims more quickly. She noted that poorer communities have often shouldered a disproportionate burden of temporary accommodation.
Tim Bearder, leader of Oxfordshire County Council, commended the Piddington campaigners for highlighting their concerns about the site and the process, calling it the "wrong site for the local community and for the asylum seekers themselves." Parish councillor Mike Nixon cited issues with pedestrian access to the proposed site.
A public consultation on the asylum housing proposals is currently underway and will conclude on September 17.