Sir Jim Ratcliffe continues to receive backlash after claiming Britain is ‘colonized by immigrants’, comment taken up by Manchester United dressing room
Manchester United players react to Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s comments (Image: Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images)
Some Manchester United players are alarmed by Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s unusual rant against immigrants, in which he claimed Britain was being “colonised”. Ratcliffe, the United co-owner, made headlines on Wednesday after he took aim at Britain’s immigration levels and made false claims about its population.
Mr Ratcliffe, 73, continues to struggle with the backlash despite demands from Prime Minister Keir Starmer for a token apology. Among those criticizing the billionaire were Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, various United supporters groups and anti-racism charities.
United took the unusual step of issuing a statement on Thursday. The club spoke of its pride in being an inclusive club with a “diverse group of players”, but did not mention Ratcliffe.
The Mail said some in United’s squad, which has more than 17 overseas players, were “alarmed” by his comments. One source warned that Ratcliffe’s outbursts would not be viewed well with the players, while another source close to the dressing room accused him of being “out of touch”.
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Mr Ratcliffe’s comments were made during an interview with Sky News at the European Industry Summit in Antwerp. INEOS’ chief executive said: “We cannot sustain an economy with nine million people on benefits and a huge influx of immigrants.”
“So Britain is colonized. It’s too expensive. Britain is colonized by immigrants, isn’t it?”
Although inaccurate, Ratcliffe continued: “So the UK population was 58 million in 2020 and now it’s 70 million. That’s 12 million.”
The Office for National Statistics estimates that the UK’s population will rise to 67 million in mid-2020 and 70 million in mid-2024. In 2000, it was estimated at 58.9 million people.
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Sir Jim Ratcliffe has apologized for his ‘choice of words’ (Image: Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images)
Mr Ratcliffe, a resident of tax haven Monaco, apologized in a statement: “I regret that my choice of words has hurt and worried some people in the UK and Europe, but it is important to raise the issue of controlled and well-managed immigration that supports economic growth.”
“My comments were made in response to questions about UK policy at the European Industry Summit in Antwerp, where I was discussing the importance of UK economic growth, jobs, skills and manufacturing.
“My intention was to highlight that the Government must manage immigration alongside investment in skills, industry and jobs so that long-term prosperity is shared by all. It is important that we maintain an open debate about the challenges facing the UK.”
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