Residents of Piddington, a village of around 350 people in Oxfordshire, held an unofficial referendum on 15 September to declare independence from the UK, in protest at government plans to house 1,256 asylum seekers at a nearby Ministry of Defence site. The symbolic vote, organised by the parish council, drew widespread support locally and reflects deep frustration among villagers who feel they have been given no say over a decision that will drastically alter their community, with concerns raised about safety, distant policing and lessons from other asylum accommodation sites.

Around 300 residents were eligible to vote, with polls open for 12 hours and many casting ballots by post or at the village hall, which had been decorated with Union flag bunting and a "Battle for Britain 2026" banner. Every voter interviewed by the Daily Mail said they had chosen to leave the UK, and more than 50 people later gathered for a jubilant campaign meeting, at which parish council chairman Tim McNally condemned Westminster's politics as "broken". Restore Britain leader Rupert Lowe briefly attempted to attend the meeting but was turned away. Residents including 76-year-old Herbert Owen and 39-year-old Victoria Hubbocks spoke of betrayal and fear, citing reports of trouble near other asylum sites such as MDP Wethersfield and Crowborough Training Camp, and noting that only four of the female MPs they wrote to for support had replied.