The Prime Minister has strongly criticised comments made by Manchester United co-owner and INEOS founder Sir Jim Ratcliffe regarding immigration, describing them as “offensive and wrong” and calling for an apology.
Sir Jim, speaking to Sky News at the European Industry Summit in Antwerp, said the UK had been “colonised by immigrants” and suggested the Prime Minister was “too nice” to take the difficult decisions required to stabilise the economy. He linked high levels of immigration to what he described as nine million people receiving benefits, arguing that both were placing unsustainable pressure on public finances.
“You can’t have an economy with nine million people on benefits and huge levels of immigrants coming in,” Sir Jim said. “The UK has been colonised. It’s costing too much money.”
Responding, the Prime Minister said Britain is “a proud, tolerant and diverse country” and urged Sir Jim to retract his remarks. A Downing Street spokesperson added that such language “plays into the hands of those who want to divide our country.”Sir Jim also claimed the UK population had risen from 58 million in 2020 to 70 million, an increase of 12 million.
However, Office for National Statistics estimates place the population at approximately 66.7 million in mid-2020 and 69.4 million in mid-2025. The population was last close to 58 million around the year 2000.
During the interview, Sir Jim compared leading the country to his stewardship of Manchester United, stating that effective leadership sometimes requires taking unpopular decisions to address long-term challenges.
He pointed to difficult restructuring measures implemented at the football club as examples of confronting underlying issues.The remarks prompted swift criticism from fan groups and anti-racism organisations.
The Manchester United Supporters Trust said no supporter should feel excluded because of race, religion or nationality, and that leadership should unite rather than divide.
The Manchester United Muslim Supporters Club said the term “colonised” echoed language commonly associated with far-right narratives. Anti-racism charity Kick It Out described the comments as “disgraceful and deeply divisive.”
Sir Jim, who acquired a 27.7% stake in Manchester United in 2024, has overseen significant restructuring at the club, including job cuts and senior management changes. Ranked among the UK’s wealthiest individuals by the Sunday Times Rich List, he relocated to Monaco in 2020.
In the same interview, Sir Jim described Reform UK leader Nigel Farage as an “intelligent man” with “good intentions,” adding that similar sentiments could once have been expressed about the Prime Minister at the start of his tenure. He reiterated that tackling immigration and welfare dependency would require political courage and a willingness to make unpopular decisions.
