Tory and Reform politicians clash over asylum centre at Piddington

Summarised from 7 outlets · 8 reports · Updated 14 Nov, 03:02 · Archive

Conservative shadow home secretary Chris Philp and Reform UK's Zia Yusuf clashed publicly over immigration at a press conference in Piddington, Oxfordshire, on Friday. Both politicians had travelled to the village to join residents protesting against Labour's approval of asylum accommodation at a nearby Ministry of Defence site in Bicester.

Housing Secretary Angela Rayner approved planning permission for the site overnight despite local opposition. The facility would house more than 1,200 male asylum seekers and would operate for at least a decade at a cost of around £1.25 billion. The village of Piddington has a population of around 350 people.

The press conference, organised by Piddington Parish Council chairman Tim McNally, was intended to highlight community concerns about the plans. In September, residents had voted symbolically to declare independence from the UK over the proposal, with a vote of 285 to 26 in favour.

When both politicians took the floor, the event descended into confrontation. Yusuf asked Philp: 'Would you like to actually apologise for the things that you did in government to bring hundreds of thousands of people into this country illegally?' He pressed the shadow home secretary to 'take the opportunity to apologise to the people of Piddington and to the country'.

Philp responded sharply, calling Yusuf's remarks 'disingenuous as usual'. He said the Conservatives had a proper plan rather than 'cheap slogans' and criticised his rival for 'point scoring' and engaging in 'cheap politics'. Philp told Yusuf to 'read the room, listen to the people clapping' and instructed him to 'calm down' and 'pipe down'. When Yusuf continued to speak, Philp told him: 'Buddy, you're in a hole. Stop digging.'

Yusuf insisted it was important to hold everyone to account for immigration policy. He stated: 'We would not be in this mess if you had used your majority to secure our borders.' Philp, who served as immigration minister under Boris Johnson, said a future Conservative government would close the site 'straight away' if it were opened by Labour.

According to the BBC, the Home Office stated that approving the planning application would allow it to continue developing the plan but that no final decision on the site had been taken. A legal challenge to the planning decision is expected from the parish council. McNally told the Prime Minister Andy Burnham that he would hold him personally responsible for any crimes committed by incoming migrants, saying 'we will hunt you down'.

How it is being reported

• Head of Piddington parish council's stark threat to Andy Burnham after asylum camp was rubber stamped... while Reform's Zia Yusuf made a fool of himselfTwo months ago, residents of the Oxfordshire village made international headlines after voting in a symbolic referendum to declare 'independence' from the UK.Daily Mail · 13 Nov, 23:42
• Conservative and Reform politicians get into shouting match live on airTo view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video Up Next Previous Page Next Page Conservative and Reform politicians clashed during a visit to Piddington today, as residents railed against approved plans for an asylum camp just outside…Metro · 13 Nov, 17:24
• Immigration row erupts between Philp and Yusuf at PiddingtonThe event descended into a shouting match after Zia Yusuf demanded Chris Philp apologise for the Conservatives’ record on immigration.Evening Standard · 13 Nov, 16:14
• Reform and Tory spokesmen in angry clash over immigration at PiddingtonReform's Zia Yusuf and Tory Chris Philp were speaking against converting a former military site into asylum accommodation.BBC Politics · 13 Nov, 14:34
• 'Read the room... pipe down!' Top Tory Chris Philp clashes live on air with Reform's Zia Yusuf as they both turn up to protest Labour's approval of migrant camp near Oxfordshire villageBoth Mr Yusuf and Mr Philp were in Piddington, Oxfordshire, to protest against the decision by Labour ministers to approve a migrant camp near the tiny village.Daily Mail · 13 Nov, 14:24
• Reform and Tory politicians in shouting match on live TV as they clash over Piddington asylum centreShadow Home Secretary Chris Philp repeatedly told Reform's Zia Yusuf to 'read the room' after he raised the dire Tory record on immigration at a press conference in PiddingtonThe Mirror · 13 Nov, 14:23
• 'Cheap Politics!' Senior Tory Bickers With Zia Yusuf In Furious Row Over Asylum CentreReform’s Zia Yusuf and the Conservatives ’ Chris Philp got into a slanging match on camera while both arguing against a new asylum centre. As the main home affairs’ spokespeople for their respective parties, the politicians travelled to the English village of Piddington to support the residents campaigning against the government’s plans. Housing secretary Angela Rayner overruled local concerns overnight and gave the Home Office permission to use the former military base in nearby Bicester to house more than 1,000 male asylum seekers. But the men’s rivalries ended up overshadowing the cause…HuffPost UK · 13 Nov, 13:35
• WATCH: Zia Yusuf and Chris Philp descend into bitter illegal migration row during Piddington press conferenceWatch the moment Reform UK's Zia Yusuf and Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp descend into bitter a illegal migration row during a press conference in Piddington. Speaking following Labour's decision to approve plans for asylum seeker accommodation in MoD Bicester, Mr Yusuf used his statement to call on Mr Philp to "apologise" to the people of Piddington for his party's failure to tackle illegal migration when in Government. Mr Yusuf said: "Chris, would you like to actually apologise for the things that you did in Government, to bring hundreds of thousands of people into this country…GB News · 13 Nov, 12:32

In this story: Zia Yusuf · Chris Philp · Angela Rayner · Piddington · MoD Bicester · Reform UK · Conservative Party · Labour Party

This summary was written by AI from the headlines and standfirsts above, and states as fact only what at least two outlets report. How we use AI · Report a problem · Corrections log