Manchester United co-owner, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, has issued an apology after claiming Britain had been “colonised” by immigrants who were draining state resources.
Ratcliffe made the controversial remarks during an interview with Sky News, where he spoke about what he described as deep political, social and economic challenges facing the UK, including rising immigration levels.
“You can’t have an economy with nine million people on benefits and huge levels of immigrants coming in,” he said. “I mean, the UK has been colonised. It’s costing too much money.
“The UK has been colonised by immigrants, really, hasn’t it? I mean, the population of the UK was 58 million in 2020, now it’s 70 million. That’s 12 million people.”
However, data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) estimates that the UK population stood at approximately 67 million in mid-2020 and 70 million in mid-2024. The population was around 58.9 million in 2000.
Following criticism over his remarks, the INEOS founder released a statement on Thursday expressing regret over his choice of words.
“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,” Ratcliffe said.
He explained that his comments were made while responding to questions about UK policy at the European Industry Summit in Antwerp, where he was discussing economic growth, jobs, skills and manufacturing.
“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,” he added.
Ratcliffe’s initial comments had sparked widespread debate over immigration policy and economic management in Britain.