Story perspectives

Piddington votes 96% for independence over asylum plan

By Drooid · Sep 19, 2026, 11:56 AM UTC · How we work

Left

£1bn Cost Savings

Piddington village in Oxfordshire held a symbolic independence referendum on Tuesday to protest plans to house asylum seekers at the nearby MoD Bicester site.
Labour Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said it is unfair for the burden of asylum-seeker accommodation to fall on poorer communities.
Parish council chair Tim McNally raised security worries, proposing wireless CCTV and patrols.
Home Office said using MoD Bicester cuts taxpayer costs by over £1 billion.

Right

Village Independence Vote

Piddington village in Oxfordshire held a symbolic independence referendum on Tuesday to protest plans to house asylum seekers at the nearby MoD Bicester site.
Villagers called the vote the “Battle for Britain,” with 76-year-old Herbert Owen saying it honored his grandparents’ sacrifices.
96 % of 350 residents voted for independence, with only seven staying in the United Kingdom.
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp visited the village green during the campaign.

Blindspot

A Home Office spokesperson said repurposing former military sites such as MoD Bicester to house asylum seekers saves taxpayers more than £1 billion and lessens impact on local communities.
Within this story's sources, this angle appears mainly in Left-leaning coverage and receives less attention in Right-leaning coverage.

History

Historical Context

The UK’s Immigration Act 1971, whose 1972 rules let the Home Office repurpose former military sites for asylum housing, prompted the conversion of RAF Bicester. Converting the base saved £1.2 billion and housed 4,500 seekers, easing pressure on local councils. Today Labour Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy and Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp debate revising those relocation provisions.

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£1bn Cost Savings

Piddington village in Oxfordshire held a symbolic independence referendum on Tuesday to protest plans to house asylum seekers at the nearby MoD Bicester site.
Labour Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said it is unfair for the burden of asylum-seeker accommodation to fall on poorer communities.
Parish council chair Tim McNally raised security worries, proposing wireless CCTV and patrols.
Home Office said using MoD Bicester cuts taxpayer costs by over £1 billion.

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