Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe claimed that Britain was being “colonized” by immigrants who were draining resources from the nation, saying: “I am sorry that my choice of words has offended some people.”
Mr Ratcliffe, founder of chemicals group INEOS, warned in an interview with Sky News that the UK faces serious political, social and economic challenges, including an unprecedented rise in immigration in recent years.
“It’s impossible to sustain an economy with 9 million people on benefits and a huge influx of immigrants,” he said. “So Britain is colonized, it costs too much money.
“The UK has been colonized by immigrants, isn’t it? So the population of the UK was 58 million in 2020 and now it’s 70 million. That’s 12 million.”
However, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) estimates the UK’s population to be 67 million in mid-2020 and 70 million in mid-2024. The UK’s population was estimated at 58.9 million in 2000.
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On Backpage tonight, panelists John Cross and Miguel Delaney discussed Ratcliffe’s comments.
“While I regret that my choice of words has offended and caused concern to some people in the UK and Europe, it is important to raise the issue of controlled and well-managed immigration that supports economic growth,” Ratcliffe said in a statement on Thursday.
“My comments were made in response to questions about UK policy at the European Industry Summit in Antwerp, where I was discussing the importance of UK economic growth, jobs, skills and manufacturing.
“My intention was to highlight that the Government must manage immigration alongside investment in skills, industry and jobs so that long-term prosperity is shared by all. It is important that we maintain an open debate about the challenges facing the UK.”
The Premier League declined to comment when contacted by Sky Sports News on Wednesday night.
Manchester United: The club prides itself on being an inclusive and welcoming club
United issued a statement following Ratcliffe’s apology, saying the club was “proud to be an inclusive and welcoming club” and that “equality, diversity and inclusion” are embedded in everything the club does.
Without mentioning Ratcliffe by name, the Old Trafford club said:
“Our diverse community of players, staff and supporters from around the world reflects the history and heritage of Manchester, a city that everyone can call home.
“Manchester United reflects the unity and resilience of all the communities we are privileged to represent.
“We will continue to represent our people, our city and our fans with purpose and pride.”
The FA is investigating Ratcliffe’s comments
The FA is understood to be investigating Ratcliffe’s comments. English football’s governing body will assess Ratcliffe’s interview with Sky News to see whether his comments breached FA regulations.
If the FA chooses to formally investigate, the investigation is likely to focus on FA Rule E3.1, which covers general conduct.
The rules state: “Participants must act in the best interests of the game at all times and must not engage in inappropriate behavior or conduct that brings the game into disrepute, violent behavior, serious foul play, or threatening, abusive, obscene or insulting language or behavior, or any combination thereof.”
Under Rule E3.2, a violation of Rule E3.1 is considered an “aggravated violation” if it includes any explicit or implied reference to one or more of ethnic origin, color, race, national origin, religion or belief, gender, sexual orientation, or disability.
As part-owner of the club, Ratcliffe will be subject to FA rules as a participant.
Mr Ratcliffe, who lives in Monaco, also suggested that Prime Minister Keir Starmer may not be the right man for the job, saying: “I don’t know if it’s just the equipment that prevents Mr Keir from doing it or if he’s too nice. I mean, Mr Keir is a nice guy.”
“I like him, but it’s a tough job and I think we’re going to have to do some difficult things with Britain to get us back on track, because I don’t think the economy is in a good place at the moment.”
Mr Ratcliffe said he had recently met Nigel Farage, leader of the right-wing Reform UK party, and said: “I think Nigel is an intelligent person and I think he has good intentions.”
“But in some ways you can say exactly the same thing about Keir Starmer. I think that to solve big problems you need someone who is prepared to be unpopular for a period of time.”
Referring to his role at United, Ratcliffe added: “We’ve seen quite a bit of this at football clubs. At Manchester United, when you do something difficult that you felt you had to do…we felt it was the right thing to do, but it becomes very unpopular for a while.”
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Ratcliffe said he intends to make Manchester United the most profitable club on the planet and spoke to The Times’ business podcast about the changes already being introduced at the club.
Ratcliffe continued: “I’ve been very unpopular because we’ve made a lot of changes at Manchester United, but from my perspective things are moving in the right direction. I think we’re starting to see evidence within the football club that it’s starting to work.”
“But this country has the same problems. If we really want to address the big problem of immigration, where people choose to collect benefits rather than work for a living, we’re going to have to do some unpopular things and show some courage.”
Mr Ratcliffe was speaking on the margins of the European Industry Summit in Antwerp. At the summit, leaders from many of Europe’s biggest economies, including France’s Emmanuel Macron and Germany’s Friedrich Merz, meet with business leaders to discuss the fate of their economies.
The summit comes amid a spate of closures across Europe’s chemical sector, which, in the view of the INEOS founders, show that the European chemical sector is facing an “unviable situation”.
Starmer: Ratcliffe’s comments are offensive and wrong
Downing Street said Mr Ratcliffe was “absolutely right” to apologize for his comments on immigration.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Wednesday night called on Mr Ratcliffe to apologize for comments he described as “offensive and wrong”.
In response to Ratcliffe’s apology, the Prime Minister’s official spokesperson said: “The Prime Minister asked for an apology and an apology has been given. That is absolutely correct.”
“There should be a debate about immigration, but Britain is a country that was created for everyone, and it was a divisive one.”
Kick It Out criticized the Manchester United owner’s comments, telling Sky Sports News: “At a time when football does so much to bring communities together, (they) are disgraceful and deeply divisive.”
“In addition to the inaccurate figures mentioned, it is worth reminding him that Manchester United have a diverse fan base and play in a city whose cultural history has been enriched by immigration.
“This kind of language and leadership does not exist in English football and I think most fans would feel the same way.”
Manchester United Muslim Supporters Club was also dissatisfied with Mr Ratcliffe’s interview, saying it was “deeply concerned” and warning that his words could have “real-world consequences”.
