Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has apologised after claiming the UK is being “colonised” by immigrants, sparking widespread outrage. The Monaco-based billionaire made the comments during an interview with Sky News, citing inaccurate population statistics to suggest the UK’s population had risen from 58 million to 70 million. The Office for National Statistics puts the 2020 figure at 67 million, with 58 million last seen around 2000.
Ratcliffe faced criticism from Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, who called the remarks “offensive and wrong”, and from Chancellor Rachel Reeves, who described them as “disgusting”. Critics highlighted Ratcliffe’s hypocrisy, noting he moved his tax domicile to Monaco in 2020, saving an estimated £4bn in tax, while his company Ineos sought government financial support. Manchester United issued a statement affirming its commitment to diversity, without naming Ratcliffe, and the Football Association is investigating whether his words brought the game into disrepute.
In a heavily qualified apology, Ratcliffe said he was “sorry that my choice of language has offended some people in the UK and Europe”, but stopped short of retracting his views, insisting it was “important to raise the issue of controlled and well-managed immigration”. The prime minister’s spokesperson welcomed the apology but maintained the comments were “inflammatory and divisive”.
Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham accused Ratcliffe of making “inaccurate, insulting, inflammatory” comments, adding: “Calling for curbs on levels of immigration is one thing; portraying those who come here as a hostile invading force is quite another.” Union leaders and anti-racism campaigners also condemned the remarks, with the TUC’s Paul Nowak calling them “bullshit”. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, however, said Ratcliffe was “right”.
