Manchester United co-owner Ratcliffe apologises for 'choice of language' in immigration comments

Sir Jim Ratcliffe, co-owner of Manchester United, issued a statement on Wednesday saying he is "sorry that my choice of language has offended some people in the UK and Europe" after facing widespread condemnation for comments about immigration.

In an interview with Sky News broadcast on Wednesday, Ratcliffe claimed the United Kingdom had been "colonised by immigrants" and cited inaccurate statistics about the country's population and benefit claimants. He stated: "You can't have an economy with nine million people on benefits and huge levels of immigrants coming in. The UK is being colonised by immigrants, really, isn't it? The population of the UK was 58 million in 2020, now it's 70 million. That's 12 million people."

According to the Office for National Statistics, Ratcliffe's population figures were incorrect. The ONS estimated the UK population was 67 million in 2020, not 58 million as claimed. The population was last close to 58 million around 2000.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer responded on Wednesday evening, describing Ratcliffe's remarks as "offensive and wrong" and calling on the billionaire to apologise immediately. Starmer stated: "Britain is a proud, tolerant and diverse country. Jim Ratcliffe should apologise."

In his statement released on the INEOS website, Ratcliffe stopped short of a full apology and stood by the substance of his comments. He wrote: "I am sorry that my choice of language has offended some people in the UK and Europe and caused concern but it is important to raise the issue of controlled and well-managed immigration that supports economic growth. My comments were made while answering questions about UK policy at the European Industry Summit in Antwerp, where I was discussing the importance of economic growth, jobs, skills and manufacturing in the UK. My intention was to stress that governments must manage migration alongside investment in skills, industry and jobs so that long-term prosperity is shared by everyone. It is critical that we maintain an open debate on the challenges facing the UK."

Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham responded on Thursday, saying the comments "go against everything for which Manchester has traditionally stood: a place where people of all races, faiths and none have pulled together over centuries to build our city and our institutions, including Manchester United FC."

Manchester United fans also condemned the remarks, calling them "disgraceful and deeply divisive." The comments have been described by critics as reminiscent of far-right narratives and hypocritical, given that Ratcliffe himself is an immigrant who has resided in Monaco since 2020 for tax purposes.