Women in the Oxfordshire village of Piddington have written an open letter to female MPs, urging them not to abandon the community amid fears they will be vastly outnumbered by male asylum seekers under Government plans. Labour is reportedly considering housing hundreds or possibly thousands of single male asylum seekers at a former military site near the village, which has only 133 female residents, and campaigners say this leaves local women feeling unsafe and unheard. The story matters because it reflects wider tensions over where asylum accommodation is sited, with rural communities objecting to what they see as being disproportionately affected while other areas remain untouched.

Initial reports suggested around 1,250 migrants could be housed at the site, a figure the parish council says may in fact be closer to 3,510 – roughly ten times the village's population of 356, which includes 46 children. The Home Office has denied the higher figure, but residents, including parish council chair Tim McNally, say they deserve clarity and have accused the Government of either "deception" or "incompetence." Piddington, which lacks even a pub or shop, has also staged a symbolic independence referendum and released a protest song, while separately Labour's Andy Burnham has called for asylum seekers to be spread more evenly, noting 17 local authorities, mostly affluent rural areas, currently house none.