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English village votes to 'secede' from UK over asylum centre plan
Euronews.com • • general
Key Points:
- The village of Piddington, near Oxford, held a symbolic referendum where 285 out of 312 votes supported "seceding" from the UK in protest against plans to house asylum seekers nearby.
- The referendum, organized by the parish council, has no legal effect but led residents to declare the area the "Principality of Piddington" as a form of protest.
- The planned asylum seeker center at a former military site is expected to house over 1,200 single adult males for at least a decade, part of the government's strategy to reduce hotel use for asylum accommodation.
- Local council leader Tim McNally stated the vote was meant to highlight community concerns, while Prime Minister Andy Burnham acknowledged these concerns but the government insists the site will proceed.
- The referendum was inspired by the 1949 film Passport to Pimlico, where a London neighborhood humorously declares independence from the UK.
