English Village Piddington Votes to Secede from UK Over Migrant Camp Plan

The English village of Piddington overwhelmingly voted to secede from the United Kingdom in a symbolic referendum held on Wednesday.

The vote, with a nearly 92% turnout, saw 285 residents back leaving the UK, 26 vote against, and one ballot spoiled. Residents staged the protest against government plans to house over 1,200 male asylum seekers at the nearby disused MOD Bicester military base. Piddington, a village of about 350 people, now identifies as the "Principality of Piddington," according to parish council chair Tim McNally.

Parish council vice chair Susannah Parden declared, "We are Piddington, the village that roars." Over 130 local women wrote to female Members of Parliament (MPs), warning that their safety, security, and freedoms would be threatened if the asylum center opens. The women stated they would not feel safe walking their streets and were already living in fear.

Villagers are preparing to install a network of wireless CCTV cameras, an emergency alert system, and security patrols, and women plan to take self-defense classes. The government stated it will not reconsider the plan, with Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy saying abandoning the center would be unfair to other communities already housing migrants. Prime Minister Andy Burnham acknowledged the village's strength of feeling but insisted asylum accommodation must be shared fairly across the country.

The Home Office's plan aims to move migrants out of hotels. An Oxfordshire County Council official warned the plan risked making the village and the facility a lightning rod for potentially violent far-right protests. The proposed asylum camp could face delays due to a lack of gas and water, and potentially due to newts. The Piddington parish has been approached by 500 town and village councillors and residents seeking advice on replicating the campaign.