Piddington Woman Condemns 'Overt Racism' After Village Votes to Leave UK Over Asylum Seeker Plan

A woman living in an Oxfordshire village has condemned what she described as 'overt racism' after residents overwhelmingly backed a symbolic vote to leave the United Kingdom in protest against plans to accommodate up to 1,256 male asylum seekers nearby.

Piddington Parish Council held the non-binding referendum after the Home Office proposed using part of the former Ministry of Defence site at Bicester for asylum accommodation. Of 312 ballots cast, 285 supported symbolic secession, 26 voted against and one was spoiled. The result has no legal force, although turnout was about 92% of the village's roughly 350 residents.

Rachel, who spoke to BBC Newsnight, said the dispute had brought outside activists into the area and left her feeling 'othered' after speaking against racist views. She also stressed that she understood concerns about the scale of the proposed accommodation.

Rachel Raises Concerns Over Racism

Rachel said the atmosphere changed after activists from outside Piddington became involved in opposition to the asylum plans. She specifically referred to Daniel Thomas, co-founder of Patriot Platform, who has discussed mobilising thousands of supporters to the area.

She said the outside involvement had encouraged what she described as hard-right views and compared some of the rhetoric she witnessed with far-right politics from the late 1980s, when groups including the BNP and National Front were active.

Rachel, who has lived in England for nearly 40 years, described herself as 'heartbroken' by what she regarded as an increase in racism and xenophobia. She also said residents concerned about the accommodation should not automatically be labelled racist.

She acknowledged that people could reasonably worry about more than 1,200 men being accommodated close to their homes, arguing that the scale of the proposal was a legitimate concern regardless of the nationality or background of those involved.

Patriot Platform Turns Attention To Village

Thomas has said Patriot Platform could mobilise thousands of supporters to Piddington in opposition to the proposal. The Times reported that he discussed a possible group of up to 5,000 people surrounding the site and remaining there for days to prevent asylum seekers from entering.

The Guardian has described Patriot Platform as a far-right group led by Thomas and reported on its involvement in anti-migration protests in Dover and Portsmouth.

The prospect of outside protesters has added another dimension to concerns already raised by local residents over infrastructure, policing and community services. Cherwell District Council has also questioned the suitability and operation of the proposed site.

Government Plans Remain Under Review

The proposed facility would be located at the former MoD Bicester site, around half a mile from Piddington, and could accommodate up to 1,256 male asylum seekers, more than three times the village's population.

The Government has said former military sites can provide self-contained accommodation as it works to reduce reliance on asylum hotels. Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said ministers understood that changes affecting local communities could be distressing, but argued that accommodation had to be shared while the asylum backlog was addressed.

The Home Office has said no final decision has been made on the site, with feasibility, planning and other assessments still required.

The referendum cannot determine whether the accommodation will go ahead. Any decision will depend on the planning and assessment process, while the proposal continues to divide opinion within and beyond the village.