Tiny English village votes to leave U.K. in symbolic protest over plan to house asylum seekers

September 16, 2026 / 2:14 PM EDT / CBS News

Piddington, England — A tiny English village has voted overwhelmingly to leave the United Kingdom in a symbolic referendum triggered by government plans to house more than 1,200 male asylum seekers at a former military site nearby.

Residents of Piddington, a rural village in Oxfordshire, voted 285 to 26 to "secede from the UK and pursue self-determination," with a turnout of nearly 92%. The vote has no legal force.

Piddington has a population of around 350 people. The asylum accommodation plan would house up to 1,256 asylum seekers, more than three times the population of the village, at a former British military base in Bicester, half a mile from Piddington.

The site would operate as a non-detained asylum accommodation, meaning the asylum seekers would be able to come and go. The proposed development would operate for 10 years, the U.K. Home Office said.

Village residents told CBS News they believe there has been insufficient consultation over the plans and raised concerns about safety, crime and the potential impact on their lives.

The referendum was deliberately held on Sept. 15, Battle of Britain Day, commemorating a pivotal day in 1940 during…

Original source: https://www.cbsnews.com/world/