Barnham residents vote to hold Piddington-inspired 'independence' referendum over migrant camp plans

Residents of Barnham have voted to hold a referendum on leaving the UK over plans to house 1,250 male migrants at a nearby RAF base.

Locals in the Suffolk village will become the second to hold a referendum after Piddington held a symbolic vote to leave the UK, dubbed the "Battle for Britain".

Saturday's decision was made at a packed public meeting.

Just seven of the 80 attendees voted against holding a referendum, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

A working group will now meet to set out the timeline for the vote.

The Government disclosed on Friday that the Home Office had quietly scaled back plans for the base.

It is now set to host 913 asylum seekers.

Barnham's population hovers around 600, leaving the residents outnumbered by the asylum seekers, who are all expected to be young single men.

Barnham Parish Council chairman John Bauer, who supported the move, said: "Residents voted decisively in favour of holding a referendum as a means to demonstrate the strength of feeling in the village at the government's failure to consult anyone about a matter which will change the nature of the village.

"This democratic action stands in dramatic contrast to the high-handed approach the government is taking."

GB News has previously reported how residents of the village were advised to get the attention of US President Donald Trump to help their cause.

Mr Bauer told The People's Channel that nothing was being "ruled out", including involving the President, and noted that nearby Thetford was the birthplace of US founding father Thomas Paine, who wrote the pro-independence pamphlet Common Sense.

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• 'It is NOT suitable!' Barnham locals plan Piddington-style referendum over plans to house 1,250 asylum seekers in small village

Reform UK-led Suffolk County Council has also called for a county-wide referendum on independence.

But the Labour MP has refused to back such a motion.

He told Britain's News Channel: "I don't know the cost of (the county-wide referendum), but we're probably talking millions of pounds."

He added: "I absolutely would not support that because I don't think it's a good use of taxpayers' funds."

He did, however, back a "proportionate" local referendum in the small sleepy village, saying it would give "them an opportunity to make their voices".

A Home Office spokesman said it was "working on a fairer distribution of asylum accommodation across the country".

He added: "This includes closing all asylum hotels and moving to alternative accommodation, including former military sites.

"These are designed to be self-contained, with 24/7 security and CCTV, to reduce the impact on local communities."