Barnham referendum, USA News (Barnham, Suffolk, UK): Residents of Barnham have voted to hold a referendum on leaving the UK over plans to house 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.
Government Plans and Population Impact
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, following initial proposals that involved housing 1,250. 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, stated that residents voted decisively in favor of holding a referendum to demonstrate the strength of feeling in the village regarding the government’s failure to consult anyone about a matter that will change the nature of the village. He added that this democratic action stands in dramatic contrast to the high-handed approach taken by the government.
Local and National Reactions
Mr. Bauer previously noted that nothing was being ruled out to gain attention for their cause, including involving US President Donald Trump, while mentioning that nearby Thetford was the birthplace of US founding father Thomas Paine.
The Reform UK-led Suffolk County Council has also called for a county-wide referendum on independence, though a local MP refused to back that motion, citing potential millions in costs to taxpayers. However, the MP did support a proportionate local referendum in the village to give residents an opportunity to make their voices heard.
A Home Office spokesman stated that the agency is working on a fairer distribution of asylum accommodation across the country. The spokesman added that this includes closing all asylum hotels and moving to alternative accommodation, including former military sites designed to be self-contained with 24/7 security and CCTV to reduce the impact on local communities.
