OPINION: The people of Piddington have spoken for the entire UK, but the Government won’t listen, writes Jon Walker.
Andy Burnham leaves 10 Downing Street in central London (Image: AFP via Getty Images)
It may be the most polite revolution ever. The people of Piddington, a picturesque village in Oxfordshire, have voted to leave the United Kingdom, in protest at plans to house 1,250 asylum seekers next door. Andy Burnham plans simply to ignore them.
But he does so at his peril. Because anger at the placement of asylum seekers is only going to grow until the Government grasps the nettle and ends the chaos in our immigration system. It appears 311 villagers voted in the referendum, with 285 supporting independence. That means pretty much everyone took part, as the 2021 census recorded the parish’s population as 358.
You can perhaps understand why the idea of accommodating 1,250 asylum seekers nearby caused some alarm.
It would be a big change, no matter who the new residents were.
And the Home Office has made it clear that it believes some, at least, of the overseas arrivals have pretty unpleasant attitudes towards women and children, after it published leaflets instructing them not to commit horrific crimes.
But, of course, Piddington can’t really separate itself from the UK. And the Government has stated bluntly that it will ignore the village’s concerns.
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy, a member of Andy Burnham’s cabinet, said the Government would “make sure that all communities are doing their bit in order to take people, many of whom will be fleeing persecution, will need a safe haven in Britain”.
And she made it crystal clear that what Labour considers wealthy areas – such as nice Oxfordshire villages – would need to accept migrants.
Ms Nandy told Sky News: “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.”
Oxfordshire Village Holds ‘Independence Referendum’ Over Plans To House Asylum-Seekers nearby (Image: Getty)
The trouble is that not every protest will be so polite.
The Piddington protest is reminiscent of the charming Ealing comedy Passport to Pimlico, released in 1949.
We’ve seen other scenes that are far less charming. There have been riots and, more recently, balaclava-clad gangs on the streets near ports.
This is not acceptable. Concern about the state of our immigration system does not justify violence or intimidation. Personally, I’m very glad to see politicians promising to ban face coverings such as balaclavas in public.
The fact is that our society is going to become more angry and more divided for as long as immigration is broken.
It makes no sense to allow people to enter our country unlawfully – deliberately evading immigration controls by taking a small boat across the Channel – and then to give them food and housing, rather than removing them.
Andy Burnham will find that voters are in no mood to be lectured by him or his Cabinet colleagues.
He will pay a heavy price at the next election for Labour’s refusal to fix our broken immigration system.
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.