Residents of Piddington, a village in Oxfordshire, England, held a symbolic referendum where they voted to secede from the United Kingdom. The vote was organized as a protest against U.K. government plans to house 1,256 male asylum seekers at a former military base located half a mile from the village. While the referendum resulted in a 285 to 26 margin in favor of secession with a 92% turnout, the vote carries no legal authority.
The protest centers on a proposal by the U.K. Home Office to operate a non-detained asylum facility for 10 years at a site in Bicester. Because the site is non-detained, asylum seekers would be permitted to come and go. Piddington has a population of approximately 350 residents, meaning the proposed facility would house more than three times the number of current inhabitants.
Village residents and local leaders stated they initiated the vote due to a lack of government consultation. Tim McNally, chairman of Piddington Parish Council, said no government officials have visited the community to discuss the impact. Residents expressed concerns regarding local safety and potential impact on property values. Herbert Owen, a 33-year resident, questioned the fairness of the government imposing the plan without dialogue, while Jennifer Owen stated she feared the village would be "overrun."
Prime Minister Andy Burnham told the BBC he recognized the village's "strength of feeling" but maintained that wealthier rural communities must share the responsibility of housing refugees. Historically, asylum seekers have been concentrated in lower-income areas where housing is less expensive. The government is seeking to move asylum seekers out of hotels to reduce costs, utilizing former military sites instead. Regarding safety concerns, Chief Constable Rachel Nolan of neighboring Essex noted that crime linked to a facility in her jurisdiction has been "very low," though national data specific to asylum-seeker crime rates is not maintained by the Office for National Statistics.
The scale of the issue extends beyond this single village, as approximately 100,600 people claimed asylum in the U.K. in 2025, more than double the number from 2019. Over the last decade, 630,000 people have claimed asylum, and polling indicates this remains a top-three issue for British voters. Tim McNally reported receiving over 500 inquiries from other local councillors and residents interested in using similar symbolic secession votes to protest central government policies.
The Home Office has not announced a change to its 10-year plan for the Bicester site following the vote. Future developments will depend on whether the government initiates direct consultations with the Parish Council or proceeds with the facility.