Second Village Set to Hold Independence Vote Over Migrant Plan

A second rural community is considering a Piddington-style independence vote to protest Labour plans to house 1,250 male asylum seekers at a local military base, according to GB News. Residents in the Suffolk village of Barnham are weighing up a symbolic referendum as opposition mounts against the controversial proposals.

The leafy Suffolk community of Barnham, which features a church and a primary school but lacks basic amenities like a shop or pub, faces a drastic demographic shift. Government proposals to transform the former RAF Barnham site into an asylum accommodation centre would see the local population more than triple, surging from approximately 600 residents to 1,850 within months.

The move mirrors protests seen in Oxfordshire, where the village of Piddington held a high-profile symbolic referendum to secede from the United Kingdom in opposition to a similar facility. While Piddington’s stunt captured global headlines, Barnham’s parish council has initially pursued an evidential approach centered on planning rules and potential land contamination at the former nuclear and chemical storage facility.

However, rising public anger following demonstrations outside the base has left many locals questioning whether a more assertive campaign is necessary. Leaked Home Office discussions have further stoked fears that numbers could increase beyond the initial 1,250 figure, leading residents to consider adopting the Piddington blueprint.

Supporters of the protest argue that rural infrastructure is entirely unsuited for such large-scale developments, while critics within the village caution against actions that lack legal standing. A decision from the government regarding the use of the base is expected this autumn as ministers push to phase out expensive asylum hotels.

Original source: Read the full report at GB News