William Eichler 15 September 2026

Village residents to hold symbolic vote on leaving the UK

Village residents to hold symbolic vote on leaving the UK image
© Marcel Otterspeer / Shutterstock.com.

Residents of a small village in Oxfordshire are set to hold a symbolic referendum on their membership of the UK in protest at plans to house up to 1,250 male asylum seekers at a nearby former army barracks.

Piddington residents say their support of the vote to leave the union is because of local security implications, the scale of the proposed site, and what they say has been the lack of consultation.

Parish leaders say hundreds of other communities have contacted them seeking advice on running similar campaigns.

The barracks is among several former military bases, including Crowborough and Wethersfield, being used by the Government as it tries to cut reliance on costly asylum hotels amid ongoing pressure over housing capacity.

A public consultation on the plans is now running until midnight on 17 September.

Skills Pipelines: What local government needs to know image

Skills Pipelines: What local government needs to know

Councils and mayors are to be handed a central role in developing skills pipelines for local industries, as the Government unveils what it calls a ‘fundamental change’ to the education system aimed at tackling youth unemployment. Here's what council leaders and officers need to know.
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