A second English village will hold a symbolic referendum on leaving the UK in protest over plans to host asylum seekers at a nearby military base, reports BritPanorama.
Barnham in Suffolk is considering following the example set by Piddington, Oxfordshire, where a recent informal referendum saw 90 percent of locals vote to leave the UK in opposition to the government’s plans for housing migrants at the Ministry of Defence (MoD) site in Bicester.
John Bauer, chair of Barnham parish council, noted that his village, which has a population of around 600, was contemplating a similar referendum in response to proposals for migrants to be accommodated at the former RAF base MoD Barnham.
At a meeting in Barnham’s village hall on Saturday, only seven of the 80 attendees voted against holding a referendum. A group is set to convene on Monday to establish a timeline for the vote, according to reports from the BBC.
Bauer expressed support for the initiative, stating, “Residents voted decisively in favour of holding a referendum as a means to demonstrate the strength of feeling in the village at the government’s failure to consult anyone about a matter which will change the nature of the village.” He remarked that this democratic action starkly contrasts with the government’s high-handed approach.
The MoD indicates that asylum seekers would generally only be housed at the site during the initial processing phase of their claims.
In August, protests erupted outside the former RAF base, located between Barnham and Thetford in Norfolk, against plans for its use in this manner. Demonstrators displayed Union and St George’s flags and held placards stating: “Barnham says no. Protect our community.”
Tensions escalated in Thetford in August when individuals attempted to storm homes associated with asylum seekers, leading to assaults on police officers during three nights of unrest.
Norfolk police reported “significant aggression,” with incidents including an officer struck by a rock and others facing bites and spitting.
In Piddington, which conducted its own unofficial referendum in September, 285 villagers supported “independence,” reflecting a turnout of nearly 92 percent, with only 26 votes against and one spoiled ballot. The village declared itself the “Principality of Piddington.”
Home Office minister Anna Turley defended the government’s proposals to accommodate asylum seekers in former military sites, characterising the locations as “self-contained” and arguing that they are more affordable than housing asylum seekers in hotels. She reiterated that these individuals would not be integrated into the community but housed in a secure setting.
Turley suggested that accommodating asylum seekers in these areas is a matter of fairness, suggesting that poorer regions have already borne a larger share of the migrant population.
The Home Office has acknowledged the strength of local sentiment and is listening to the concerns raised by communities, though it has yet to issue a comment on the matter.
