Piddington village votes for independence from UK in protest against asylum seeker housing plan

To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Up Next Previous Page Next Page Villagers in rural Oxfordshire have voted in favour of leaving the UK in a protest against plans to house more than 1,200 male asylum seekers nearby. The plan to house 1,256 lone male asylum seekers near Piddington has caused an uproar among the villagers, who claim the proposal has hit property prices and would bring crime. The residents of Piddington voted to separate from the UK after the government’s announcement to turn a nearby former military base into temporary housing. Some 285 villagers backed the symbolic independence move, with a turnout of almost 92%. Just 26 people voted against the motion, with one ruined ballot cast. Piddington villagers celebrated their strong majority vote to secede from the UK (Picture: Joe Giddens/PA Wire) The protest vote result was announced this morning just yards from the village hall decorated with memorials for the Battle of Britain and the Second World War. Tim McNally, the parish chairman, said: ‘It doesn’t matter whether they’re priests or vicars, the proportionality isn’t acceptable. ‘Your house value has dropped. We’ve had a number of house deals cancelled. We’ve had banks pull mortgages. To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Up Next Previous Page Next Page ‘We’ve had people who’ve got pensions in their properties have to be revaluated, because the value of their property is no longer what it was. ‘That’s not about saying this is a wealthy area, this is no more wealthy than any other village around the country, but people work very hard, and they worked hard to earn what they’ve made, and they should be entitled to have what they’ve made. ‘But overnight, to have that destroyed, ultimately, is disgraceful, and we’ve had no involvement in that process to determine what it means for us.’ Herbert Owen, 76, said the result marks a ‘Battle for Britain,’ arguing that the result is not just about the village but ‘about our whole country.’ Leader of the far-right group Restore Britain, Rupert Lowe, joined the villagers in Piddington yesterday during the symbolic referendum vote (Picture: Ben Whitley/PA Wire) He accused the government of ‘destabilising our country.’ The former military site is located off the B4011, a country road with a 50mph speed limit and no pedestrian access along it, parish councillor Mike Nixon explained. He claimed the government has proposed giving asylum seekers high-viz jackets if they decide to walk, though the government’s documents advise against it. Mr Nixon said: ‘The road itself, the B4011, is a busy road, 50-mile-an-hour speed limit, but vehicles will regularly go in excess of that, so it is likely that there would be significant risk of road traffic collisions, injury, or even death, should the plan go ahead.’ The vote echoes the narrative promoted by right-wing groups, including the alleged risk to women and girls posed by lone male asylum seekers and replacement conspiracy theories. Resident Jamie Perkin said the villagers will be ‘outnumbered’ if the plan goes ahead. He said: ‘I’d like to know any town, village, city in this country that has quadrupled in population overnight. You won’t be able to name one, we would be the first ones. The village of around 400 people voted largely in favour of symbolic independence from the UK after the asylum seeker row (Picture: Joe Giddens/PA Wire) ‘Why should we be the first ones to have this dropped upon us?’ He labelled the asylum seekers ‘illegal men’ who ‘we don’t know anything about.’ He continued: ‘Why should we be at risk? I’ve got three young children, I’ve got a wife, we would be outnumbered and certainly the women will be outnumbered ten to one. ‘It is a massive risk to the women.’ The Home Office is planning to turn old military sites into housing in a bid to move away from hotels. As part of the proposal, the Ministry of Defence Bicester site between the villages of Piddington and Upper and Lower Arncott would be turned into accommodation. Villager Jennifer Owen cast her vote in the Piddington independence referendum (Picture: Ben Whitley/PA Wire) Other sites the government is eyeing up include Barnham, Suffolk, and Linton-on-Ouse in North Yorkshire. In total, the three sites could house around 3,750 asylum seekers if plans are approved. It comes amid ongoing tensions over migrant numbers and arrivals across the English Channel. Balaclava-clad protesters swarmed Eastney in Hampshire last week after people rescued from the sea were brought ashore in the area. A sign at the entrance to Piddington village says ‘No to Bicester MOD asylum centre’ (Picture: AFP/Getty Images) Around 200 masked protesters gathered in the marina, saying they were trying to stop the migrants being taken to a processing centre. A Home Office spokesperson confirmed that the government is closing every asylum hotel. The move is estimated to save taxpayers more than £1 billion since the 2024 General Election. They said: ‘We are working to fairly house asylum seekers across the country, moving asylum seekers into alternative accommodation, including former military sites which are designed to be self-contained to reduce impact on the local community. ‘As part of the process, we engage with local authorities and police forces to ensure the safety and security of those in the surrounding area.’ Got a story? Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at [email protected]. Or you can submit your videos and pictures here. For more stories like this, check our news page. Follow Metro.co.uk on Twitter and Facebook for the latest news updates. You can now also get Metro.co.uk articles sent straight to your device. Sign up for our daily push alerts here.