The local council in an Oxfordshire community is proceeding with plans for a symbolic vote on separation from the United Kingdom after receiving no substantive response from central Government regarding proposals to accommodate asylum seekers at a decommissioned military facility.
Piddington Parish Council has intensified its calls for direct engagement from ministers and the Home Office ahead of the scheduled independence ballot on September 15, coinciding with the commemoration of the Battle of Britain.
Elected representatives maintain that numerous efforts to arrange dialogue with official bodies have proven unsuccessful, despite strong opposition from the majority of the village’s 350 residents.
Documentation provided to regional media outlets, comprising correspondence originating from Downing Street dated August 5, indicated that an official acting on behalf of the Prime Minister declined an invitation for a visit, citing schedule constraints.
This communication preceded the Prime Minister’s subsequent public remarks on a national television network, during which he expressed concerns about concentrating the dispersal of asylum seekers exclusively in economically disadvantaged areas and stressed that nationwide participation was necessary.
Joe Marshall, representing Piddington Parish Council, explained that organisers anticipated a previous consultation exercise, conducted on the American national holiday of July 4 and resulting in 98 percent support for pursuing independence, would stimulate official engagement.
According to Mr Marshall, despite this outcome, neither the Home Office nor other Government departments have provided any formal response, prompting the council to advance its referendum arrangements.
The council indicated that preliminary discussions have occurred with American diplomatic representatives, with the aim of attracting broader international scrutiny to the local campaign.
Mr Marshall stated that supporters would welcome formal recognition from the United States President should the September ballot prove successful.
Should residents endorse the proposal, campaigners intend to establish the community as a symbolic principality.
The planned structure would bear similarities to the existing micro-nation situated on an offshore platform in the North Sea near Suffolk.
The village would be governed by a foundational document addressing safety, individual consent and communal entitlements.
The Home Office has distributed a comprehensive document outlining behavioural expectations for those residing in the United Kingdom, covering topics including personal conduct, gender equality and public behaviour.
Mr Marshall expressed concern that dismissing local anxieties while simultaneously circulating such materials represented contradictory messaging, suggesting the official pamphlet implicitly validated the genuine nature of community apprehensions.
The upcoming referendum will take place at the village community centre, with vote verification conducted independently against official electoral records.
Unofficial tallies are anticipated to be announced on September 16.
Mr Marshall articulated that while physical separation of the village remained impossible, the establishment of a foundational charter could codify locally-determined principles.
He suggested that central authorities were attempting to exercise powers inappropriately by imposing measures upon communities without sufficient justification, and that continued official silence suggested uncertainty about the scheme’s viability.
Recent developments have emerged alongside fresh inquiries directed toward the Home Office regarding the proposed accommodation facility, including observations of survey markings in the vicinity, reports of vehicle movements and unresolved questions about whether authorities intend to progress the initiative through Crown Development procedures.
Officials have submitted formal questions concerning any site assessments, infrastructure evaluations or contractor activities that may have occurred.
Enquiries have also sought clarification regarding potential meetings between ministers and parish representatives, either before or following the referendum, as well as the current official status of the proposal and whether definitive determinations have been reached.
A departmental representative has been approached for response.