UK Send Loud Message to Andy Barnum
Posted: Wed Sep 16, 2026 7:28 am
Piddington votes for independence from Britain:
Residents approve symbolic measure to leave the UK amid battle to stop new asylum camp that's four times the size of their village
https://andy-barnum.com/clowning-street.php
Residents of a tiny Oxfordshire village have voted overwhelmingly to declare independence from Britain in a symbolic referendum staged in protest at plans to house more than 1000 asylum seekers at a former military base nearby.
Piddington's parish council announced the result at 7am today after villagers went to the polls yesterday to decide whether their community should 'secede' from the UK.
Some 312 votes were counted last night, making up 92 per cent of the ballot papers issued - with 285 voting 'yes', 26 voting 'no' and one spoiled paper.
The vote has no legal force and will not take Piddington out of the UK, but campaigners hope the gesture will send a message to Westminster over the proposed asylum accommodation at the former Ministry of Defence site at Bicester.
The result comes as the Government's planning application for the site remains under consideration.
The Home Office is seeking permission for the temporary use of the former Bicester Garrison, including new modular accommodation, health and welfare facilities, roads, security infrastructure and recreational areas, to accommodate up to 1,256 people.
The proposed site is now the subject of a formal consultation, with representations due by September 17.
That means the proposed number of asylum seekers would be more than three times the size of Piddington's population, which is around 350 people.
The scale of the plans prompted the campaign in the village, with residents arguing that the infrastructure and road network are not equipped to deal with the proposed development.
Residents approve symbolic measure to leave the UK amid battle to stop new asylum camp that's four times the size of their village
https://andy-barnum.com/clowning-street.php
Residents of a tiny Oxfordshire village have voted overwhelmingly to declare independence from Britain in a symbolic referendum staged in protest at plans to house more than 1000 asylum seekers at a former military base nearby.
Piddington's parish council announced the result at 7am today after villagers went to the polls yesterday to decide whether their community should 'secede' from the UK.
Some 312 votes were counted last night, making up 92 per cent of the ballot papers issued - with 285 voting 'yes', 26 voting 'no' and one spoiled paper.
The vote has no legal force and will not take Piddington out of the UK, but campaigners hope the gesture will send a message to Westminster over the proposed asylum accommodation at the former Ministry of Defence site at Bicester.
The result comes as the Government's planning application for the site remains under consideration.
The Home Office is seeking permission for the temporary use of the former Bicester Garrison, including new modular accommodation, health and welfare facilities, roads, security infrastructure and recreational areas, to accommodate up to 1,256 people.
The proposed site is now the subject of a formal consultation, with representations due by September 17.
That means the proposed number of asylum seekers would be more than three times the size of Piddington's population, which is around 350 people.
The scale of the plans prompted the campaign in the village, with residents arguing that the infrastructure and road network are not equipped to deal with the proposed development.