Villagers in Piddington, a community of 133 women and 46 children, are vowing to fight Labour's plans after Angela Rayner fast-tracked planning permission for a new camp that will house 1,256 men. The decision, revealed by the Daily Express on Thursday night, has sparked shock, fury and determination among residents who say the fight has consumed their village since June.
Villagers React with Shock and Fury
On Thursday night, as the news broke, Tim McNally, chairman of the parish council, was out for dinner with his partner to celebrate his birthday. Within minutes, their phones were ringing non-stop, and the romantic meal became a flurry of hastily arranged media interviews.
By Friday, dozens had gathered outside the village hall, and two Westminster figures, Chris Philp and Zia Yusuf, were en route to the Oxfordshire village. Nearly all of those gathered had the same message: they are terrified for their safety, concerned about the impact on their community, and fear life in the hamlet will be different forever.
Residents Voice Their Fears
One woman fears violence will inevitably spill out of the camp into the streets of Piddington. Another said her children will no longer be allowed to play outside. A third described the village as a quintessential English community where everyone knows everyone, with a traditional communal spirit that is now under threat.
The phrase that struck most was: "I think it was inevitable." Several people said they felt it was a foregone conclusion that this point would be reached. Campaigners always thought it would, and they are now mulling their next steps, likely through the courts, with rare bats and newts set to take centre stage. They believe two species of bats and newts are so rare they could thwart the plans entirely, requiring special protection orders and licences from Natural England.
Anger Directed at Government and Labour
The main source of anger is the Home Office, but also Labour. Villagers feel the party, led by Andy Burnham, is completely ignoring them by repeatedly refusing to visit the area, which is set to bear the brunt of Labour's flagship asylum accommodation policy. Some argued the issue should not be party-political, as it could impact anyone across the country.
Victoria Hubbocks said: "I'm really disappointed that all the questions we've asked, all the emails we've sent, not one has ever been replied to. So, my issue is the fear of the unknown. It's the fact that all of our concerns that we have raised have never been answered."
Jo Haw-Cook added: "I think the Government was always going to do this. I think it was inevitable. Does that mean that we stop fighting? No. Just because we are raising this risk, it doesn't mean that we're racist or we don't want it in our backyard. The Government has not reassured us in any way. We have asked them to come, to talk to us to illustrate how they intend to run this site and make it work within, within the community. And they have not done that. They have not stepped up."
Another resident said: "What really irritates me about Angela Rayner is the fact that she started her political career as a young care worker trying to be heard, and now she's just ignoring 133 women in Piddington who are saying, 'Hang on, this isn't right. We're about to be outnumbered 10 to 1. Where does this make sense?'"
Determination to Fight
The anger in Piddington is palpable, but so is the determination to fight. Labour ministers may have to brave a visit to the site to quell the growing sense of revolt, or it will only intensify.
