Piddington holds independence referendum over plans to house asylum seekers at MoD site
Residents continue their fight against government plans
Residents of a small Oxfordshire village are voting in a symbolic referendum today as they continue their campaign against plans to accommodate 1,256 asylum seekers at a former military site nearby.
People living in Piddington are being asked whether the village should become independent from the UK, in a stunt designed to send a message to the government over its proposal for MoD Bicester.
The referendum comes after residents gathered near the site yesterday to meet MPs who have backed their campaign, including former Home Secretary and current Reform UK MP Suella Braverman and Reform UK MP Sarah Pochin.
Last week, a group of women from Piddington wrote to all female MPs asking for support, saying they feared for their safety if the plans went ahead.
Long-term resident Gina Perkin, whose family has lived in the village for five generations, said the referendum is intended to make their voices heard.
She said: “We are holding our referendum to just show that, not just for us, but for this whole country, the system is broken and we are not being listened to."
Ms Perkin said they had objections over proposed development, but said her biggest frustration was with the lack of consultation.
“There’s loads of very valid objection reasons to why this is not right, such as scale, proportionality, infrastructure," she said.
“But it’s more my fight that we’re not being listened to by our government.”
Residents opposed to the plans say the scale is disproportionate to Piddington, which has a population of only a few hundred people.
Some women in the village have also signed up for self-defence classes because of fears about how the development could affect their safety.
Victoria Hubbocks from the village said around 40 or 50 women had already expressed an interest in the classes.
But she added that many local parents are also worried about the safety of their children.
“I’ve got young children that are seeking their independence and when you have that many people and you don't know their history, regardless of where they’re from, I would still have safety concerns,” she said.
Sandra Innes, who has lived in Piddington for 23 years, said she too feared losing freedom, like her morning walks around the village.
“I started to do that for both my mental health and my physical health,” she said. “And if this happens, I won’t be able to do that. I won’t feel safe to go out on my own.”
Ms Innes described the referendum as a product of residents’ frustration and acknowledged the village could not legally leave the UK.
“It is a bit tongue in cheek,” she said. “But it’s an opportunity for us to raise our voices to say we don’t agree. We don’t agree with what the British government is doing to us.”
However, not everyone in Piddington agrees with the rhetoric that has surrounded the campaign.
Rachel Marsh, who has lived in the village for more than 20 years, is also opposed to using the site for asylum accommodation, but worries the campaign has fuelled division.
“It’s been completely xenophobic and dehumanising as far as the refugees are concerned, and that upsets me," she said.
"I've always known this village to be, tolerant and have never really experienced any outward demonstrations of bigotry or racism, but I would say that the mask is off."
Ms Marsh said she was less concerned about asylum seekers posing a threat to her than she was about the possibility of outside groups being drawn to Piddington by the controversy.
She said there are villagers that share some of her concerns but feel uncomfortable speaking publicly for fear of being vilified.
Suella Braverman, who joined Reform UK earlier this year, was among four politicians who travelled to Piddington yesterday.
She said she had attended in response to the open letter from the village’s women.
“They are terrified, they are angry, they are very anxious about the government’s plans to accommodate over 1,200 migrant men just on the edge of their very small rural village,” she said.
Ms Braverman strongly backed residents who have raised fears about safety and called on the government to abandon the proposal.
Asked about criticism that some of the debate surrounding Piddington was fuelling racism, she rejected the idea.
“This is not about race,” she said. “This is about the safety of the British people. This is about fairness.”
Speaking about the referendum, Ms Braverman said: “I see where the parish council is coming from. They want to make their voice heard.
“It’s coming from a place of desperation. The people here feel like no one’s listening to them.”
A Home Office spokesperson previously said: “The concerns of communities are central to our immigration reforms which is why we are working with local authorities and others to fairly disperse asylum seekers across basic accommodation including ex-military sites. Five military sites are either in use or being explored to house asylum seekers.
“We have already seen results. The population of asylum seekers in hotels has fallen by 35% in the last year and by 63% from the peak of 56,000 in 2023. Overall asylum costs have already fallen by nearly £1 billion since the general election.”