Sir Keir Starmer has called for an apology from billionaire Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe after he suggested Britain is being “colonised by immigrants”. The Prime Minister described the comments as “offensive and wrong” in a statement on X, adding that Britain is a “proud, tolerant and diverse country”.
Ratcliffe, who has lived in tax-free Monaco since 2020, made the remarks during a Sky News interview on Wednesday. He claimed that immigration is “costing too much money” due to the number of people “on benefits”, and said “the UK is being colonised by immigrants”. He also incorrectly stated that the UK population had risen from 58 million in 2020 to 70 million, while official figures show it was 67 million in 2020.
The comments drew widespread condemnation. The Manchester United Muslim Supporters’ Club said it was “deeply concerned”, and anti-racism charity Kick It Out described the remarks as “disgraceful” and “deeply divisive”. Kick It Out reminded Ratcliffe that Manchester United has a diverse fan base and plays in a city enriched by immigrants.
Ratcliffe’s Ineos group, which received £120m in UK state aid last year to protect jobs, employs over 26,000 people globally. He was a vocal supporter of Brexit before moving to Monaco. In the same interview, he described Prime Minister Starmer as “too nice” for the “tough job” and praised Reform UK leader Nigel Farage as an “intelligent man”.
Ratcliffe acquired a minority stake in Manchester United in late 2023, with Ineos taking control of football operations. His tenure has seen controversial changes to ticket pricing, prompting fan protests. The Independent has contacted Man United and Ratcliffe for comment.
