Villagers in Piddington, Oxfordshire, held an unofficial referendum on September 15, declaring independence from the UK to protest against plans to house 1,256 asylum seekers at a nearby Ministry of Defence site. All residents interviewed supported leaving the UK, and celebrations followed the polls closing. The event coincided with Battle for Britain Day, drawing parallels between current political issues and historical wartime struggles.
Written by the local model on 2026-09-16,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event.
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By the time the polls opened at 7am yesterday, the small black letterbox outside Piddington Village Hall had been converted into a makeshift ballot box.
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letterbox → see → box
Bunting hung from the doorway emblazoned with images of the Union flag, poppies and the RAF roundel.
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Bunting → hang → flag
A hanging pennant declared: 'Battle for Britain 2026.'
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pennant → hang → Britain
Yesterday, on September 15 – the day each year when we remember those who fought against the Luftwaffe over the skies of London 86 years ago – the 350 residents of Piddington, Oxfordshire, launched their own Battle For Britain.
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residents → remember → Britain
This was by way of an unofficial referendum on the village declaring independence from the UK – all in a bid to prevent the Home Office from housing 1,256 asylum seekers at a Ministry of Defence (MoD) site on their doorstep.
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This → declare → doorstep
Once the polls had closed 12 hours later, the result seemed all but inevitable.
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result → close → ?
Every single one of the voters the Daily Mail spoke to proudly declared they had chosen to leave the UK.
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they → speak → UK
Shortly after 7pm, more than 50 locals crammed into the village hall for their weekly campaign meeting.
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locals → cram → meeting
The drinks flowed as chairman of the parish council Tim McNally declared: 'The politics of our country are broken on so many levels.
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politics → flow → levels
And we're sending our message back to Westminster.
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we → send → Westminster
Pictured: Residents attend a meeting at the Piddington village hall on Tuesday evening
Residents applaud after the polls close in the referendum over whether Piddington should 'leave' the UK in protest at plans for an asylum camp
The night's jubilation was interrupted only by the unexpected arrival of Restore Britain leader Rupert Lowe at 7.30pm alongside a small clutch of his supporters.
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jubilation → picture → supporters
But the Great Yarmouth MP was twice denied entry to the village hall – this is, after all, a Liberal Democrat constituency – and he left after just 15 minutes.
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he → deny → minutes
Earlier in the afternoon, however, as votes were being cast, there were scenes of a far more poignant nature.
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votes → cast → nature
Herbert Owen, 76, has lived in the village for 33 years.
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Owen → live → years
In that time, he told the Mail, 'very little has changed'.
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little → tell → Mail
That morning, Mr Owen and his wife Jenny voted for Piddington to declare independence.
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Piddington → vote → independence
When asked why, he stiffened the grip on his walking stick and took a sharp intake of breath.
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he → ask → breath
'What did my father fight for?' Mr Owen asked, his eyes pooling with tears.
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eyes → fight → tears
'He joined the army at 17.
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He → join → 17
He was holding back the Germans on the French beaches.
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He → hold → beaches
He became a prisoner of war and served in Korea, too.
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He → become → Korea
They say an old soldier never dies but my father would be turning in his grave if he saw what was happening in this country.
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what → say → country
Mr Owen's voice cracked: 'Our Government has betrayed that generation of men.
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Government → crack → men
Andy Burnham and all his MPs are going to be complicit to the crimes these asylum seekers are going to commit.'
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seekers → go → crimes
About 300 people were eligible to vote in yesterday's symbolic referendum, with the result due this morning.
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result → vote → referendum
While many in this elderly community cast their ballot by post, a steady stream of residents came to the village hall – a small building more used to hosting dances and coffee mornings than political referenda.
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stream → cast → referenda
Among the voters was 39-year-old Victoria Hubbocks, one of the so-called Ladies of Piddington who last week wrote to every female MP pleading for their support and declaring: 'We will not feel safe walking our streets.
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We → call → streets
We are already living in fear.'
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We → live → fear
Shockingly, just four MPs replied.
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MPs → reply → ?
'The asylum site is going to fundamentally change how we live our lives,' the mother of three told the Mail.
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mother → go → Mail
'The community will completely change.
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community → change → ?
And we've had no say in the matter.
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we → have → matter
Housing 1,250 people is a lot.
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Housing → house → people
We don't know who they are, where they are from, and of course they'll have their cultural differences.
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they → know → differences
'
Citing reports of sexual violence and intimidatory behaviour near other asylum sites, namely MDP Wethersfield in Essex and the Crowborough Training Camp in East Sussex, Ms Hubbocks continued: 'The fact that our local police are 45 minutes away is also a massive concern if something does go wrong.
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something → cite → Sussex
'Most people already don't sleep well at night.
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people → sleep → night
And we won't be able to give our properties away – though property prices are the least of our worries right now.'
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prices → give → worries
Susannah Parden, another resident who volunteered to serve as the acting returning officer for the vote, added: 'This isn't about politics but we're frightened.
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we → volunteer → politics
It's wholly unsuitable and the taxpayer will have to pay to convert it into accommodation.'
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taxpayer → have → accommodation
Shockingly, details of which facilities might be provided onsite – such as gyms, swimming pools and sports pitches – have been redacted from Home Office documents, meaning it remains unclear how expensive the renovations will be.
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renovations → provide → documents
…and 5 more, not listed.
The Aporia
