Sir Jim Ratcliffe, billionaire co-owner of Manchester United, has faced criticism for his comments on immigration, stating that the UK has been "colonised by immigrants".
According to Sky News, Sir Jim made these remarks during an interview with economic editor Ed Conway on the fringes of the European Industry Summit in Antwerp, Belgium.
Sir Keir Starmer, Labour leader, labelled the comments "offensive and wrong", and called on Sir Jim to apologise. A spokesperson for No 10 also urged Sir Jim to apologise, saying his comments "play into the hands of those who want to divide our country".
Reaction from Football Community
The Manchester United Muslim Supporters Club (MUMSC) and anti-racism educational organisations Show Racism the Red Card and Kick It Out have condemned Sir Jim's comments. MUMSC stated that the term "colonised" is not neutral and echoes language used in far-right narratives.
Sir Jim, founder of Ineos, also suggested that the prime minister was "too nice" to make difficult decisions to stabilise the country's economy. He added that politicians needed to be "prepared to be unpopular for a period of time to get the big issues sorted out".
Population Growth and Immigration
According to data from the Office for National Statistics, the UK's population in mid-2025 was 69.4 million, compared to 66.7 million in mid-2020. Sir Jim cited this growth as evidence of the UK being "colonised" by immigrants.
Response from Other Leaders
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey described Sir Jim's comments as "totally wrong" and "totally out of step with British values", also calling on him to apologise. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage responded to Sir Keir's condemnation, stating that Britain has undergone unprecedented mass immigration that has changed the character of many areas in the country.
