Residents of Piddington, a village of around 350 people in Oxfordshire, held an unofficial referendum on declaring independence from the UK, in protest at Home Office plans to house 1,256 asylum seekers at a nearby Ministry of Defence site. The symbolic vote, staged on the anniversary of the Battle of Britain, reflects growing local anger at being given no say over the scheme, and taps into wider national tensions over asylum accommodation policy and its impact on rural communities.

Around 300 residents were eligible to vote, with polls open for 12 hours and many casting ballots by post; every voter who spoke to the Daily Mail said they had backed leaving the UK. Chairman of the parish council Tim McNally told a packed campaign meeting that "the politics of our country are broken", while residents such as Herbert Owen, 76, and Victoria Hubbocks cited fears over safety, distant policing (45 minutes away) and lack of government reassurance. Restore Britain leader Rupert Lowe made a brief, unwelcomed appearance at the evening meeting before leaving after being twice refused entry.