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

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.”

Several people I spoke to described how they felt it was a foregone conclusion that we’d reach this point.

Campaigners always thought it would reach this point, and they are now mulling their next steps. This will almost certainly be through the courts, with rare bats and newts set to take centre stage. Campaigners believe two species of bats and newts are so rare that they could thwart the plans entirely, as they would require special protection orders. Natural England would have to pass licences, they believe.

But the main source of the anger? Undoubtedly, yes, the Home Office. But also Labour.

Villagers feel Andy Burnham’s party is completely ignoring them, by repeatedly refusing to visit the area when it is set to bear the brunt of Labour’s flagship asylum accommodation policy.

Some argued that this issue shouldn’t be party-political, because in theory it could impact anyone across the country.

One, Victoria Hubbocks, said: “I’m really disappointed that all the questions we’ve asked, all the emails we’ve sent, not one has ever been replied to.

“So, my issue is the fear of the unknown. It’s the fact that all of our concerns that we have raised have never been answered.

Another, Jo Haw-Cook, said: “I think the Government was always going to do this. I think it was inevitable. Does that mean that we stop fighting? No.

“Just because we are raising this risk, it doesn’t mean that we’re racist or we don’t want it in our backyard. The Government has not reassured us in any way.

“We have asked them to come, to talk to us to illustrate how they intend to run this site and make it work within, within the community. And they have not done that. They have not stepped up.”

Another said: “What really irritates me about Angela Rayner is the fact that she started her political career as a young care worker trying to be heard, and now she’s just ignoring 133 women in Piddington who are saying, ‘Hang on, this isn’t right. We’re about to be outnumbered 10 to 1. Where does this make sense?'”

The anger in Piddington is palpable. But so is their determination to fight.

And Labour ministers may have to brave a visit to the site to quell the growing sense of revolt. Or it will only intensify.