Andy Burnham has responded to the result of a second independence referendum in Piddington after local residents voted to leave the UK over Labour’s plan to house 1,250 migrants at MoD Bicester.
The Prime Minister, who admitted he only became aware of the campaign in Piddington last month, today said he understood the village’s “strength of feeling” before insisting there needed to be fairness across the country.
Residents in Oxfordshire voted decisively to cut ties with the UK, with 285 out of 312 backing independence.
Speaking after the result was declared, Mr Burnham said: “The only thing to do is to get the numbers down, the number of crossings down. And they are significantly down. They are now at a seven-year low.
“We also made a commitment to people to end the use of hotels to house refugees and asylum seekers, and that commitment needs to be honoured, and I think the vast majority of people say ‘yeah, that really does need to proceed’.
“So this involves difficult decisions. It’s about fairness across the country. I’m not saying that only one part of the country or one group of communities should do all of the work.”
However, Mr Burnham’s comments about fairness have come under criticism as Piddington’s population stands at just 350.
“We’re a community of around 300 adults, and right now we’re on the face of every single news channel,” local resident Christina told GB News.
“We’re fighting as hard as we can because ultimately the Government has landed on these plans full of holes, full of inconsistencies, and full of mistakes.
“They’ve just let us suffer with these plans with no help. How are they going to help us? We don’t know.”
Cherwell, which includes Piddington and is home to around 170,000 people, is expected to break into the top 10 of local authorities providing supported accommodation to migrants.
Labour’s plan to house 1,256 migrants at MoD Bicester would see Cherwell rival both Leicester and Nottingham.
Only 26 residents in Piddington voted against independence, with one local even spoiling their ballot.
Piddington, which now refers to itself as a principality, has held a series of protests against Labour’s proposal.
A separate referendum was held on July 4, with 96 per cent of locals voting for independence and just seven casting votes against.
However, local residents are now calling on Labour to take action following yesterday’s symbolic vote.
Piddington voter Derek told GB News: “In my view, the Government never really take that much notice of what people think.
“I didn’t vote Labour, but people who voted them in, I don’t think they quite understand what life is about, to be honest with you.
“This village here, I’ve been here 53 years now, a lovely little quiet village. I’ve seen it grow very slowly and I’ve seen things go.
“We used to have a pub, we used to have a school, we used to have the post office. Everything is gone.”
Fellow resident Sandra added: “I think it says what Piddington has been saying for a long, long time – actually, it’s not that long, is it? Because it’s only been since the beginning of July.
“But actually, as a democratic country, we should have a voice, and we’ve been denied it. I know this is just the beginning of the journey for us.
“Just because we are now the principality of Piddington, that does not mean to say that the Government are going to stop their plans for the 1,256 residents for the asylum centre in Bicester.”
The Home Office is holding a consultation over its proposal to house 1,256 migrants in Piddington until midnight on September 17.