In England, a village of 350 people "demanded" independence

**A 350-person village in England "demanded" independence**

Residents of the village of Piddington in England, which has a population of about 350, supported secession in a symbolic "independence referendum." This was prompted by a plan to house more than 1,200 migrants near the village.

The parish council announced on September 16 that in 285 of the 312 ballots counted, residents voted to secede. This vote, held in protest against housing asylum seekers at a former military site, has no legal force.

Residents were distributed ballots reading, "I support Piddington seceding from the United Kingdom and determining its own destiny." Tim Bearder, a member of Oxfordshire County Council, told the BBC that this result clearly demonstrated the residents' concerns. He accused the government of making plans without consulting the local population.

Meanwhile, Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy told Sky News that the government had inherited a large backlog of unresolved applications from the previous administration. She added that the entire burden should not fall solely on poorer communities.

Today, ongoing protests are being held across Britain against housing asylum seekers in hotels and other facilities.

"We are doing a very British thing, which is voting. Because this is a very important issue. This situation is happening not only in our area, but across the UK," said local council chairman Tim McNally.

According to government data, the planned center will be used to house single male migrants for at least 10 years. It was emphasized that the safety of the base staff and local residents would be the most important issue.

The Labour Party is phasing out the use of hotels for migrants. They have promised to stop using hotels and instead use former military bases by the end of the current parliamentary term, i.e., by 2029.