Philp and Yusuf clash over immigration at Piddington press conference

Conservative MP Chris Philp and Reform UK’s Zia Yusuf clashed at a joint press conference in Piddington, as they joined local campaigners opposing plans to turn a former military site into asylum accommodation for up to 1,256 men.

Yusuf challenged Philp over the Conservatives’ record on immigration, asking him to apologise. Philp, the shadow home secretary, called the remarks “disingenuous” and told Yusuf to “calm down”, accusing him of “cheap politics”. Yusuf said the Conservatives had failed to secure the country’s borders and that everyone involved should be held accountable.

The press conference was held after Housing Secretary Angela Rayner approved a planning application to change the use of the MoD Bicester site. The Home Office said the approval would allow development of the plan to continue, but that no final decision on the site had been taken. The parish council expects to mount a legal challenge.

Philp said a future Conservative government would close the accommodation “straight away” if it opened under Labour. He argued that the asylum seekers who could be housed there would have arrived in the UK while Labour was in power. Yusuf pointed to Philp’s role in Conservative immigration and border policy while the party was in government.

The politicians were invited to speak by Piddington Parish Council chairman Tim McNally, who thanked them and said he respected both for what they represented. The two parties are both on the right, but are competing for voters and have stressed their differences.

The government says it wants to use former military sites as part of efforts to close asylum hotels. A deputy spokeswoman for the prime minister said such accommodation would have round-the-clock security and CCTV, and be designed to limit its impact on local communities. The Liberal Democrat MP for the area, Calum Miller, said the site was unsuitable for a large asylum centre and criticised the planning application.