MP under fire after vote abstention on Bicester MOD and ECHR

MPs rejected the Conservative motion by 309 votes to 113, a majority of 196, on October 14.

The motion called on the House of Commons to condemn Government plans to accommodate up to 1,256 single adult men at the former military site near Piddington and withdraw from the ECHR “in order to deport illegal migrants”.

Calum Miller, the Liberal Democrat MP for Bicester and Woodstock, spoke during the debate but did not take part in the vote.

MOD Bicester (Image: Ed Nix)

He described the proposed “portacabin village” as “totally inappropriate”, arguing it would be wrong for local communities, asylum seekers and taxpayers. He said the scheme could cost £1 billion over 10 years.

Mr Miller has repeatedly opposed the plans, warning they could "create excessive community tensions", raise environmental concerns and pose risks to women and girls.

He also rejected attempts to frame the issue around race, telling MPs: “It's not a race issue, it's a man issue.”

A view of the ex-military base MoD Bicester in Oxfordshire (Image: Joe Giddens/PA Wire)

However, his decision not to support the motion has attracted criticism from some campaigners.

Campaigner Paula Ewers said she understood that leaving the ECHR conflicted with Liberal Democrat policy, but argued residents were entitled to question why their MP had not supported a motion explicitly condemning the MOD Bicester proposal.

Describing the vote as "revealing", she said: “When faced with a difficult choice between his party’s position on the ECHR and a motion explicitly condemning what is happening in his own constituency, he chose not to support it.

“Residents are entitled to draw their own conclusions from that.”

Local residents pose with a Principality of Piddington sign in the village of Piddington where a symbolic vote was held to 'leave the UK' (Image: Joe Giddens)

Speaking on behalf of Piddington Parish Council, Cllr Joe Marshall said councillors understood that linking the local proposal to withdrawal from the ECHR had complicated the vote.

However, he said the parish council was “disappointed” Mr Miller had not backed the motion.

Mr Marshall said: “We understand that tying the motion to the ECHR made it a complicated vote, but MOD Bicester was in the title of the debate and we had hoped he would put his constituents first and symbolically vote with them.

"Had he done so, I think it would have earned him a great deal of respect in the village."

“For many residents, his decision reinforces a feeling that party politics can outweigh local voices", he added.

Bicester and Woodstock MP Calum Miller (Image: Supplied)

Responding to the criticism, Mr Miller said his opposition to the MOD Bicester plans had "not changed

He said: "My priority is to take effective steps to stop this terrible plan.

"By forcing a vote on UK membership of the ECHR, they played divisive national politics with our local issue.

“I abstained because I did not support that tactic. I would, of course, have supported a straightforward motion opposing the site.

“My focus remains on stopping this terrible plan for our area."

"I will continue to work with anyone who is committed to a local, united campaign focused on that goal.”

Home Office minister Anna Turley told MPs that no final decision had been made over MOD Bicester.

She said public safety would remain central to the Government’s consideration of the proposal and praised the Piddington campaign as “incredibly imaginative and forceful”.

The Labour Government has argued that leaving the ECHR would be unnecessary and could undermine cooperation with European countries on migration matters, while the Conservatives and Reform UK maintain withdrawal would give Britain greater freedom to deport people who enter the country illegally.