Second English village considers vote to leave UK over asylum plans

A second English village is considering holding a symbolic referendum on leaving the United Kingdom in protest against government plans to accommodate asylum seekers at a nearby former military base.

Barnham in Suffolk could follow the example of Piddington in Oxfordshire, where residents voted overwhelmingly in an unofficial referendum last week to declare independence from the UK. The vote was held in opposition to plans to house asylum seekers at the former Ministry of Defence (MoD) Bicester site, with about 90% of voters backing independence.

John Bauer, chairman of Barnham Parish Council, told The Independent that the village, which has a population of around 600, was considering holding a similar vote.

Bauer previously told The Times that he and a group of Barnham residents would visit Piddington to learn more about its referendum. The move comes amid plans to potentially accommodate asylum seekers at MoD Barnham, a former RAF base.

He said nobody he had spoken to in the village supported the government's proposal.

“To send a message to the government, I wouldn’t be surprised if 90 per cent voted [for independence from the UK],” Bauer said.

“Barnham is a small – I would say quintessential – Suffolk village, with a village school, a village hall and it’s got a church. That is it. There are no shops, there is no pub, there is nothing else for them to do here.”

Under the government's plans, asylum seekers would normally be accommodated at the site only during the initial processing stage of their claims. No final decision has been made on the future use of either MoD Bicester or MoD Barnham.

Dozens of people gathered outside the former RAF base in Suffolk last month to protest against the possibility of the site being used for asylum accommodation. Union flags and St George's flags were displayed, while some demonstrators held placards reading: “Barnham says no. Protect our community.”

The protests followed unrest in nearby Thetford, Norfolk, in August, when people attempted to storm homes linked to asylum seekers and police officers were assaulted during three nights of disturbances.

Norfolk Police said officers were “subjected to significant aggression” in the town. One officer was struck with a rock, another was bitten and a third was spat at.

In Piddington, residents held their symbolic referendum last Tuesday. A total of 285 villagers voted for “independence,” with turnout reaching nearly 92%. Twenty-six residents voted against the proposal, while one ballot was spoiled.

The government has defended its plan to use former military bases for asylum accommodation. Home Office minister Anna Turley said the sites would be “self-contained” and more manageable and affordable than accommodating asylum seekers in hotels.

Speaking to LBC radio, Turley described the policy as a matter of “fairness,” arguing that poorer areas with lower property prices had already taken their “fair share” of migrants.

“They’re not going to be in the village, they’re going to be contained in a former military base, they will be allowed out, everything they need will be on that site.

“We are looking at former military bases around the country, we’re also looking at former industrial sites, student accommodation, other means by which we can put people in secure places that is contained and is manageable – going back to the beginning of our conversation – is more affordable than putting people in hotels.”

The Home Office has said it recognizes the strength of local feeling in Barnham and Piddington and is listening to residents' concerns. The government says it is seeking a fairer distribution of asylum accommodation across the country and intends to move away from using hotels.

By Tamilla Hasanova