The Oxfordshire village of Piddington has voted overwhelmingly in favour of ‘independence’ from the UK in a symbolic vote one resident called the ‘Battle of Britain’.
People living in the village, which is home to around 350 residents, were invited to vote on whether to secede from the UK and become an independent state on Tuesday after the Government announced plans to house 1,256 male asylum seekers at a nearby former military base.
Some 285 villagers backed ‘independence’, with only 26 residents voted against the motion. There was a turnout of 92%, with only one spoiled ballot recorded.
Dozens of journalists and residents gathered outside the village hall on Wednesday morning to hear the result, with a pennant reading Battle for Britain 2026 hanging outside the hall.
Parish chairman Tim McNally said the vote was about “hope” for residents.
“It doesn’t matter whether they’re priests or vicars, the proportionality isn’t acceptable,” he said.
“Your house value has dropped. We’ve had a number of house deals cancelled. We’ve had banks pull mortgages.
“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.”
Responding to the vote, Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said the burden of hosting asylum accommodation should not just fall on “poorer communities”.
“What I would just gently say to the people of Piddington is: we inherited a massive asylum backlog,” the minister told Sky News.
“We are getting that backlog down. We’re speeding up the processing of claims, and 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.
“That’s what we saw under the previous government. Because accommodation is cheap in many, not just towns, but in particular postcode areas, people who live in more deprived communities have had to put up with almost … every other house in some instances… turned into HMOs, and that is not OK.”
Parish councillor Mike Nixon said the site has no pedestrian access areas, and the Government has suggested issuing asylum seekers with high-visibility jackets to keep them safe while walking along a busy road.
The councillor added that the proposed site is prone to surface water flooding, has an inadequate foul water drainage system, and an insufficient power supply.
He told the Press Association: “The nearest path is about a mile and a quarter away, down a very busy road that’s unlit.”
In the travel plan submitted as part of the Government’s proposals, the site is described as having “limited” pedestrian access and travel on foot was “not recommended”.
Cycling and public transport options may be provided, the document added.
After casting his vote, Pensioner Herbert Owen, known in the village as Herbie, dubbed it the ‘Battle of Britain’.
“This isn’t just about Piddington, this is about our whole country. This Government is destabilising our country,” he said.
“Wherever they put these people, in camps, in HMOs (houses in multiple occupation), or whatever, they’re ruining people’s lives.”
The 76-year-old described Piddington, which has a population of about 350, as a “wonderful little village” and said it has not changed much since he moved there 33 years ago.
Rupert Lowe MP, leader of the Restore Britain party, told reporters outside the village hall that the vote should be “lauded”.
He said: “I think if we’re going to stop this, the people have to rise up and say they’ve had enough, and they’re not going to put up with this.”
A Home Office spokesman said 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,” the spokesman added.
