The first significant event in the newly independent principality of Piddington was a decision to select the newt as the national animal, reflecting optimism that the amphibian’s endangered status might help block plans to open a centre for 1,250 asylum seekers on neighbouring land.
uncertain
status → select → land
The choice was announced on Thursday morning, the day after Piddington announced that villagers had voted overwhelmingly to leave the UK.
asserted
villagers → announce → UK
Parish councillors were also thinking about asking local children to design a flag and considering whether the new principality’s national sport should be cricket or football.
asserted
sport → think → flag
The second noteworthy event was the arrival of Daniel Thomas, who prefers to be called Danny Tommo, the leader of the new balaclava-wearing anti-migrant movement Patriot Platform, with an offer to rally his masked supporters, if the site is opened, “to protect women and children” locally.
asserted
site → prefer → women
By the end of the week, some residents of this pretty Oxfordshire village were still struggling to interpret Tuesday’s symbolic ballot of 358 villagers, and the announcement on Wednesday that Piddington had voted to “secede from the UK and pursue self-determination” by a margin of 285 to 26, in protest at plans to convert a former military base near the village into housing for asylum seekers.
asserted
Piddington → struggle → seekers
The day after the independence vote there was still a summer fete atmosphere: Battle for Britain bunting was hanging over the doorway to the village hall, “I Am Spartacus” placards stood by the roadside alongside new signs telling drivers that they were entering the Principality of Piddington, “The Village That Roars”.
asserted
That → be → Piddington
Journalists from Japan, Norway and Ireland arrived, puzzled by the lack of public transport and functional wifi; they scrutinised the community noticeboard in search of clues to explain the village mindset (“Tortoise Found”, “Harvest Coffee Morning”, “Pilates for All Abilities”).
asserted
they → arrive → Abilities
For others, the week’s events have more troubling outcomes.
asserted
events → have → outcomes
Chef Rachel Marsh, who used to run a livery yard in the village where she has lived for 20 years, was meeting police officers on Friday to discuss her safety.
asserted
she → use → safety
She received death threats and her family was targeted with racist abuse online after she expressed unease in a Newsnight interview that fear was being used as means to “rally and activate people” locally.
asserted
fear → receive → people
The determined jollity of the village independence movement left a sour taste, she said, in the light of the backlash she had received both from local residents and online activists.
asserted
she → leave → residents
“Given that their aim is to protect women and children it is quite ironic that they are using aggression like this towards me for speaking up against racism,” she said.
asserted
she → give → racism
Originally from New Zealand, Marsh has lived in the UK for 40 years; her husband’s parents were Windrush generation arrivals from Jamaica.
asserted
parents → live → Jamaica
Messages posted online this week suggested that she and her husband should leave Britain.
uncertain
she → post → Britain
“We’ve had violent threats online from a lot of very toxic keyboard warriors.
asserted
We → have → warriors
I’ve never encountered anything like this before.”
asserted
I → encounter → this
Marsh, like everyone else in Piddington, opposes the government’s asylum housing plan, announced in June.
asserted
Marsh → oppose → June
Residents were particularly dismayed at the government’s decision to submit a fast-tracked ‘Urgent Crown Development’ application, designed for projects deemed to be of national importance, allowing ministers to bypass local authority planning processes, as they race to meet a commitment to shut down asylum hotels entirely “in this parliament”.
asserted
they → dismay → parliament
But village harmony has fractured in places, over disagreements over how best to oppose the decision.
asserted
harmony → fracture → decision
Some locals back a Wrong Plan, Wrong Site campaign, primarily focused on the legalities, cost and environmental risks of the proposed housing.
asserted
locals → back → housing
Other activists have highlighted the perceived risk to local women of the site.
asserted
activists → highlight → site
One local, asking not to be named, said the rhetoric in the village had become markedly “more hostile to asylum seekers” over the summer.
asserted
rhetoric → ask → summer
“The tenor has changed,” he said.
asserted
he → change → ?
The leader of the parish council, Tim McNally, who led the independence movement, said he was happy that the village had “sent a message to the political jugular”, adding that he was now talking to other village leaders elsewhere in Britain, sharing a blueprint with advice on how to object to unpopular decisions imposed by central government.
In interviews earlier this week he said he would consider renaming the village Trumpington if the Donald Trump agreed to adopt the principality as the 51st US state.
asserted
Trump → lead → state
Since June he has been filming video appeals for support, speaking direct to the camera as he walks around the village on his @piddingtonroars X account.
asserted
he → film → account
The campaign has attracted Elon Musk’s attention, prompting the SpaceX CEO to tweet to his 241.6 million followers: “Soon, this will happen to your town”, above a description of the plans for housing for asylum seekers in Oxfordshire.
asserted
this → attract → Oxfordshire
McNally responded: “Thank you, Elon, for helping our little village roar around the world.”
asserted
village → respond → world
On Thursday, parish councillor Joe Marshall was cheerful about the ballot result, if still wrestling with the practicalities of independence.
asserted
Marshall → wrestle → independence
The village would continue to view King Charles as their monarch, he said.
asserted
he → continue → monarch
Councillors were wondering if “someone’s son’s under-11 cricket team” might agree to represent the principality.
uncertain
team → wonder → principality
“Ultimately we’re not going to be culturally any different from Britain,” he said.
asserted
he → go → Britain
He saw nothing problematic about the swift visit from a nationalist activist leader, stressing that all politicians, environmental campaigners and political figures were welcome to visit.
asserted
politicians → see → leader
“We’ve not written to these people to invite them but with the high profile of what we’re doing right now, these people will want to come.
asserted
people → write → what
Our responsibility as a parish is to ensure the safety and the security of the village,” he said, adding that a private meeting with Patriot Platform was being held “so we can open dialogue”.
asserted
we → ensure → dialogue
“I assume that their intent is to offer protection, which right now we don’t need because there is no one on this site,” he said.
asserted
he → assume → site
“We’d rather engage with people, walk them around the village, have a cup of tea and a chat, rather than say: ‘We don’t want you here’.”
asserted
We → engage → you
Villagers were disappointed, he said, that there had not been any similar visits from Home Office ministers or government officials.
asserted
he → say → ministers
“They haven’t sent a representative even to have a private conversation with the parish council.”
asserted
They → send → council
Thomas arrived without an entourage of men in balaclavas on Thursday afternoon.
asserted
Thomas → arrive → afternoon
On Friday morning he posted a video of himself outside the gates to the Site A military base, standing outside the village hall, on the village green and interviewing two villagers.
asserted
he → post → villagers
…and 15 more, not listed.
The Aporia
