I saw Piddington women's total fury at Angela Rayner – everyone's saying the same thing

Detailed summary

The village of Piddington is home to 133 women and 46 children. Yet Angela Rayner has fast-tracked planning permission for a new camp that will house 1,256 men. For those living…

As Tim McNally, the chairman of the parish council, launched a scathing attack on the Government, a quiet hush fell over dozens of villagers set to be propelled onto the front line of Labour’s asylum crisis.

The village of Piddington is home to 133 women and 46 children. Yet Angela Rayner has fast-tracked planning permission for a new camp that will house 1,256 men. For those living here, it’s become an all-encompassing fight since June. On Thursday night, as the Daily Express broke the devastating news that Ms Rayner had given the scheme the green light, Mr McNally was out for dinner with his partner to celebrate his birthday.

Within minutes, their phones were ringing non-stop. And a romantic meal for two suddenly became a flurry of hastily arranged media interviews.

And 12 hours later, two Westminster heavyweights, Chris Philp and Zia Yusuf, were en route to the tiny Oxfordshire village as dozens vowed to fight Labour’s plans every step of the way.

There was a tangible mixture of shock, fury and determination. And nearly all of those gathered outside the village hall had the same message.

They were terrified for their safety, concerned about the impact it will have on their community and that life in the hamlet will be different forever.

One woman fears that violence will inevitably spill out of the camp, into the streets of Piddington. Another said her children won't be allowed to play outside anymore.

A third detailed how it's a quintessential English village, where everyone knows everyone, complete with a traditional communal spirit.

But all of that is under threat. And the phrase that struck me most was this: “I think it was inevitable.”

Opening of the article, excerpted from Daily Express. To read the rest, open the article on the publisher's site.