The result of the vote was announced on Wednesday morning.
Locals awaiting the result (Image: Express / Richard Ashmore)
A small village in Oxford has voted to secede from the UK in protest of Government plans to house more than 1,000 asylum seekers at a disused military site nearby. Residents in Piddington cast their ballots in a symbolic independence referendum held by Piddington Parish Council on Tuesday (September 15) after the Government announced plans to house up to 1,256 male asylum seekers at an MoD site between Piddington and Upper and Lower Arncott.
The result of the vote was announced on Wednesday morning, with locals voting overwhelmingly in favour. Susannah Parden, vice chair of Piddington Parish council and returning officer of the vote, announced the result on Wednesday morning. She reminded locals that the question put to them was, “do you support Piddington to secede from the UK and pursue self determination?” 312 votes were counted, which she said is nearly 92% of the ballot papers issued. Ms Parden announced that 285 people voted in favour, a landslide result that prompted loud cheers from locals gathered to hear the result.
A local pointing to the new ‘Principality of Piddington’ sign (Image: Express)
Residents celebrating the landslide vote (Image: Express)
26 voted against, with one ballot paper spoiled and not included in the count. Tim McNally, chair of the Parish council spoke before residents after Ms Parden’s announcement, saying: “Yesterday was the anniversary of the Battle of Britain, and for us it was the battle for Britain.
“We’ve been identified as ground zero for a whole number of issues.” He said said the vote is “an example of democracy in operation”.
“This is an example of a mandate of behaviour. What we have done, I didn’t realise what I was opening up and getting involved in, I just thought we were going to be opposing a plan, a plan that would have an impact on our village.
“That could turn our village upside down, in a way not quite envisaged before.”
He said in voting to secede, the village had given an “absolute message, not just to the region, not just to the country, but to the world”.
However, the vote has no legal basis, and will continue to be part of the UK officially.
The plans would see MoD Bicester turned into basic accommodation, in plans announced in June as part of a Government push to move people out of asylum hotels, which have become lightening rods for protests across the UK.
In early September the Governement made an Urgent Crown Development application, procedure used to speed up the approval of projects deemed to urgent and of “national importance”.
A public consultation on the asylum housing plans ends at midnight on Thursday, September 17, but the final say ultimately rest with the Government.
Mr McNally claimed village respresentatives had been met with a “wall of silence” in his efforts to engage with MPs, with a “handful of responses”.
He claimed the only people who had responded were the opposition parties, acknowledging visits from Conservative and Reform MPs, as well as Restore leader Rupert Lowe.
Mr McNally said the village would henceforce be known as the Principality of Piddington, an moniker recognised with a new sign.
Alan Hopkins, 59, has lived in the village for 17 years. He told the Daily Express: “I think we’ve caught the imagination of the country, we’ve been a-political and I’m very proud to be a Piddingtonian.
He claimed the police advice is to “run and hide”, which he said is “the kind of thing they say for terrorism attacks, we can’t hide in a field”.
“I’m fearful for the women and children of this parish, unfortunately statistically there is danger and risk, there’s always risk with 1,200 people,” Mr Hopkins added.
The Express’ Richard Ashmore spoke to locals in Piddington on the historic day (Image: Express)
Thames Valley Police has been approached for comment.
As a citizen of the Principality of Piddington, Alan said the village had been innovative in their fight against the Home Office.
“If you look at how much they will have to spend to make the MoD site, it’s horrendous, that money is a lot of hip replacements, a lot of knee replacements.
“Andy Burnham has said at the Dispatch Box twice he would like at this, he’s told a seven-year-old here he would happily talk to him, but he has not. I was told to address my letters to the Right Honourable, there’s nothing honourable and there’s nothing right.”
Graphic designer Christina Gower, 26, who has lived in Piddington for seven years, said: “Hotels are a bad idea, this site which will be concrete in the middle of nowhere is an even worse idea.
“It’s going to cost hundreds of millions of pounds and I know the narrative is 1,256 men but across 10 years that’s tens of thousands.”
She said people are “scared and women will be outnumbered 10 to one, this is crazy, it doesn’t make sense, it’s like an experiment we are being put through”.
Speaking about her feelings about becoming a citizen of the Principality of Piddington, Christina added: “I’m a graphic designer so I might design our new passports.
“There’s a group of people who were born here and lived here their entire lives, seeing the world’s media here is like something you see on telly. It’s been amazing to watch this community of adults just pull together and make a stand against this plan.”
Piddington resident Samantha Phillips, 61, said: “This is democracy not hypocrisy, rather than the version the government are peddling.
“Andy Burnham should come here, that’s what we’ve always said, we want them to come here and look for themselves.
“Come and see the community and see what we don’t have, such as the facilities, come and see the site is adjacent to the kid’s playing field, it’s not just about us, it’s just not right for the migrants either.
“We can’t have people in Whitehall sticking a pin in a map and saying that’s going to work. All we’re asking is for the government to come and engage with us, come and be transparent, that is proper democracy.”
Responding to the result, Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said the Government is reducing the backlog, whilst acknowleging the strong feelings voice in the village.
“What I would just gently say to the people of Piddington is we inherited a massive asylum backlog,” she told Sky News.
“We are getting that backlog down. In the meantime, we don’t think it’s acceptable for all of the burden of shouldering not just asylum accommodation but also many other forms of temporary accommodation to fall on poorer communities.”
She said residents in her own Wigan constituency had spoken out about hotels there being used to house asylum seekers, and admitted may have voted the same way.
“If you’d had this referendum in my town, which is a very welcoming town … when those two asylum hotels were opened up I think you would have got the same result to be frank.”
The Home Office has been approached for comment.
Ahead of the vote, a Home Office spokesperson told the Press Association that the Government is working to “fairly house asylum seekers” across the country as it closes asylum hotels.
“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,” they added.
RNLI shuts down UK lifeboat station after furious migrant protests erupt
Protestors branded RNLI volunteers “traitors” and accused the charity of operating a “collection service”.
Angry protests in Portsmouth this month (Image: Getty Images)
The RNLI has temporarily suspended operations at a Portsmouth lifeboat station after volunteers were subjected to physical and online abuse following protests over migrants brought ashore. Portsmouth Lifeboat Station in Eastney has been out of service since September 10, four days after two RNLI all-weather lifeboats brought 120 migrants to shore following their rescue in the English Channel.
The arrival sparked demonstrations near the station, with protesters branding RNLI volunteers “traitors” and accusing the charity of operating a “collection service”. Police remained at the station in the days afterwards as a precaution amid a surge in threats directed at the RNLI and its personnel. The backlash has also spread online, forcing Eastney RNLI to remove its Facebook page.
Several people have been charged with violent disorder following the late-night protest, while a number of police officers were treated for injuries sustained at the scene.
The RNLI has since taken additional steps to protect its volunteers, including advising some not to wear uniform or branded clothing in public.
The organisation has stressed that the temporary suspension has not left Portsmouth without search and rescue cover.
A charity spokesperson said: “Portsmouth Lifeboat Station has been temporarily off service since 10 September.
“We hope to have the lifeboat station back on service as soon as possible.
“Search and rescue cover continues to be provided through established contingency arrangements, including flank RNLI stations and other declared assets.”
The latest disruption comes after similar problems elsewhere, with Poole Old Lifeboat Museum also closing following incidents in which volunteers were verbally assaulted by anti-migrant protesters.
RNLI chief executive Peter Sparkes condemned the abuse, saying it had followed misinformation about the charity’s work.
Mr Sparkes said: “Recent events have generated deliberate misinformation and a misunderstanding about the RNLI – our purpose, our tasking, and particularly our lifesaving work in the Channel.
“Sadly, as a result, some of our volunteers and staff have been the subject of online and, in the worst cases, physical abuse.”
He criticised those responsible as people who “hide behind a balaclava or a keyboard”, describing their “action” as “wholly unacceptable”.
The RNLI said lifeboat stations can sometimes be temporarily unavailable due to maintenance or other operational requirements, with contingency arrangements in place to maintain rescue coverage.
The Portsmouth station remains temporarily out of service while those arrangements continue.
The protests followed the arrival of the 120 migrants at Eastney Point on September 6 after the two RNLI lifeboats picked them up while they were attempting to cross the Channel from France.
The RNLI lifeboat was denied access to Southampton and Portsmouth before the passengers were eventually landed at Eastney in Portsmouth.
News of the landing quickly spread, prompting demonstrators to gather near Portsmouth Lifeboat Station in opposition to the migrants being brought into the city.
The protest continued late into the night and descended into violence, with police officers injured during clashes. Multiple people have subsequently been charged with violent disorder.
The RNLI has faced criticism from anti-migrant protesters over its Channel rescue operations, despite the charity saying its role is to respond to people in distress at sea.
The hostility has extended beyond Portsmouth. Volunteers at Poole Old Lifeboat Museum were verbally assaulted during several incidents involving anti-migrant protesters, prompting the museum to close.
The RNLI has warned that misinformation about its work has contributed to abuse directed at staff and volunteers, and has advised them to exercise caution when deciding whether to wear its branded clothing.
The Express has contacted the RNLI for additional comment.