LONDON, UK — Billionaire businessman and Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has triggered a major political and public backlash after making controversial comments about immigration in the United Kingdom during a televised interview.
Ratcliffe, who also founded chemicals giant INEOS, told Sky News in an interview that Britain had been “colonised by immigrants,” comments that have been widely condemned by politicians, community groups, and football fans alike.
In remarks that immediately sparked outrage, Ratcliffe said: “You can’t have an economy with nine million people on benefits and huge levels of immigrants coming in. I mean, the UK has been colonised. It’s costing too much money. The UK has been colonised by immigrants, really, hasn’t it?”
The comments were made during a discussion about the UK’s economic and social challenges, where Ratcliffe linked immigration levels to broader concerns about welfare dependency and national strain.
He also expressed that dealing with these issues would require unpopular decisions, telling the broadcaster: “If you really want to deal with the major issues of immigration … then you are going to have to do some things which are unpopular and show some courage.”
In the same interview, Ratcliffe criticised political leadership, suggesting Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer might be ‘too nice’ to take tough actions needed to address the country’s challenges.
Political leaders were swift to respond.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer wrote on X: “Offensive and wrong. Britain is a proud, tolerant and diverse country. Jim Ratcliffe should apologise.”
A Downing Street spokesperson echoed Starmer’s call, saying Ratcliffe’s remarks “play into the hands of those who want to divide our country.”
Starmer’s office additionally highlighted that such language undermines the values of inclusivity and unity that the UK promotes.
Labour MP Alex Sobel described the remarks as “outrageous and inflammatory,” stressing the vital role immigrants have played in Britain’s society and economy.
Walthamstow MP Stella Creasy pointed out the irony of Ratcliffe’s comment, noting:
“Without immigrants, Man United’s starting lineup last night would have been three players and the bench would have consisted of just two.”
Anti-racism and inclusion groups also reacted strongly.
The Manchester United Muslim Supporters Club warned that Ratcliffe’s language ‘echoes extremist narratives’ and undermines diversity, while organisations such as Kick It Out labelled the comments ‘disgraceful and deeply divisive.’
Supporters have criticised Ratcliffe for speaking about immigration while playing a leadership role in one of football’s most globally diverse clubs — Manchester United itself hosts players and staff from a broad range of cultural backgrounds.
One fan group described his comments as “a total embarrassment” and accused him of being “out of touch” with both the club and British society at large.
Manchester United has not yet issued an official response to Ratcliffe’s immigration remarks at the time of publication.
Fact-checking also played a role in the controversy.
Ratcliffe claimed the UK population had grown from 58 million in 2020 to 70 million, implying this was due to immigration.
But data from the Office for National Statistics shows the UK population was around 67 million in 2020 and reached 70 million by 2024, meaning his figures were inaccurate.