Piddington backs 'secession' over asylum centre plan

Piddington, an English village of around 350 people, has voted symbolically to “secede” from the United Kingdom in protest at plans to house more than 1,200 asylum seekers at a nearby disused military site.

The parish council in the central England village announced on Wednesday that 285 of 312 counted ballots supported seeking to secede from Britain and pursue self-determination. The vote has no recognised legal basis.

Piddington is about 25 kilometres from Oxford. Parish council chair Tim McNally said the village would now be known as the “principality of Piddington”. He told Sky News the issue was one of proportionality, asking how a village of about 350 people could absorb 1,250 males. He accused the government of trying to rush the plan through.

Oxfordshire county council leader Tim Bearder told the BBC the result showed campaigners had highlighted concerns about the proposed asylum centre. He warned the planned centre could become “a lightning rod” for the far right and could lead to attacks on asylum seekers.

Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy told the BBC that a former military base was a better option for housing asylum seekers than hotels or rented accommodation. She said the government had to house people somewhere while it dealt with the asylum system and that the base would go ahead.

Government information said the proposed centre would be used for at least 10 years to house single adult male asylum seekers, and that the safety and security of migrants, staff and the local community would be “of the utmost importance”.

The Labour government is phasing out the use of hotels as migrant accommodation and has vowed to end their use by the end of the current parliament, due in 2029, turning instead to former military bases.