Head of Piddington parish council’s stark threat to Andy Burnham after asylum camp was rubber stamped… while Reform’s Zia Yusuf made a fool of himself

Angela Rayner approved planning permission for asylum accommodation at the MoD Bicester site near Piddington, prompting a furious response from parish council chairman Tim McNally. He says residents will continue to challenge the decision and accused the Government of misleading the village; the dispute matters because the site is planned to house far more people than live locally.

The article says the site lacks running water, electricity and a working sewage system, and is planned to accommodate 1,256 male asylum seekers for at least ten years at an estimated taxpayer cost of £1.25 billion. Piddington has about 350 residents, and a symbolic vote for independence from the UK passed 285 to 26. A campaign group has sought a judicial review over environmental rules, backed by Cherwell District Council; the Home Office says permission allows work to progress but a final decision to proceed has not been taken.