Andy Burnham says "we have to ensure that we have a fair plan" on asylum housing near Piddington

Residents of Piddington, an Oxfordshire village of about 350 people, backed secession from the U.K. by 285 votes to 26 in a non-binding poll announced Wednesday, a symbolic protest against government plans to house up to 1,200 male asylum seekers at the former Ministry of Defence Bicester base roughly half a mile away. The parish chairman said the village would style itself the Principality of Piddington. Supporters cast the vote as a win for local democracy; critics said it inflamed fears of newcomers, amid wider U.K. unrest over asylum accommodation. Andy Burnham said he recognized the depth of local feeling and would consider the matters residents and the referendum highlighted, while stressing the need for an equitable approach that spreads responsibility for housing new arrivals across the country.