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Oxfordshire Village Holds Symbolic 'Independence' Vote Over Migrant Housing Plan

By Today News Hours Editorial Desk

Residents of Piddington, a small Oxfordshire village near Bicester, have held a symbolic referendum on separating from the UK in protest against government plans to house more than 1,000 asylum seekers at a nearby former military base.

The vote took place on Tuesday, organised by the local parish council, in response to Home Office proposals to accommodate up to 1,256 male asylum seekers at MoD Bicester. Of the village's 350 residents, 312 cast ballots at a box placed outside the village hall. The result showed 285 votes in favour of leaving the UK, 26 against, and one spoiled ballot.

Announcing the outcome, parish council vice chair Susannah Parden declared, "We are Piddington, the village that roars." Council chair Tim McNally called the vote "an example of democracy in operation," adding that the village had entered the process as "underdogs" with "a plucky idea" but had succeeded in sending "a message to the world."

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy responded to the village's remarks on BBC Breakfast, saying, "I think they have – we have heard it, we are listening." She acknowledged the distress such changes can cause local communities but pointed to government progress on asylum processing, including a reduction in small boat crossings this summer and efforts to clear a backlog of claims inherited from the previous government. She said the UK still had obligations to house genuine asylum seekers while addressing what she called the "asylum chaos" left behind.

Oxfordshire County Council leader Tim Beader praised the Piddington campaigners for raising awareness of their concerns, but criticised the government's handling of the process, saying it had failed to properly engage with the local community or assess the site's feasibility. He argued the location was unsuitable for residents, asylum seekers, and taxpayers alike.

The Home Office first announced the plan in June as part of a broader strategy to move asylum seekers out of hotel accommodation. The proposed site, referred to as "Site A," sits between Piddington and the villages of Upper and Lower Arncott. A similar proposal for an asylum accommodation centre at the same site was put forward in 2005 but was later abandoned by the Labour government of the time.

This year's announcement drew criticism from the district council, human rights organisations, and many local residents who said they were caught off guard. Piddington lies within the constituency of Liberal Democrat MP Calum Miller, who previously accused the government of handling the plans with secrecy and failing to guarantee public involvement beyond a limited number of official bodies.

Earlier this month, the government submitted an Urgent Crown Development application relating to the site. Miller described this as "a clear win for local democracy and for every resident who refused to be shut out of a decision with profound consequences for our communities."

A public consultation on the proposals remains open until midnight on 17 September.