Sir Jim Ratcliffe claimed Britain has been “colonized” by immigrants, a comment that prompted a backlash and the Manchester United co-owner later apologized.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s comments sparked a backlash (Image: Chris Brunskill/Fantasista/Getty Images)
A group of Manchester United supporters held up a banner condemning Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s controversial comments on immigration. Ratcliffe, United’s co-owner, came under fire last month for claiming Britain had been “colonized” by immigrants.
The Monaco-based billionaire used false data to support his claims. Ratcliffe attempted a verbal apology after backlash from celebrities including Sir Keir Starmer, Andy Burnham and Gary Lineker.
However, the 73-year-old still faces criticism. In United’s first home game since Ratcliffe’s infamous Sky News interview, some fans made their feelings clear.
The banner read: “MUFC was proudly colonized by immigrants.” The photo featured seven foreign players who played for the club: France’s Eric Cantona and Patrice Evra, South Korea’s Park Ji-sung, Portugal’s Bruno Fernandes, Norway’s Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Ivory Coast’s Amad and Brazil’s Casemiro.
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United issued a statement on their website following Ratcliffe’s comments. “Manchester United prides itself on being an inclusive and welcoming club,” they said.
“Our diverse community of players, staff and supporters from around the world reflects the history and heritage of Manchester, a city everyone can call home.Since launching All Red All Equal in 2016, we have built equality, diversity and inclusion into everything we do.
“We remain deeply committed to the principles and ethos of that campaign, which are reflected not only in our policies but also in our culture and reinforced by our upholding of the Premier League’s high equality, diversity and inclusion standards. We will continue to represent our people, our cities and our fans with purpose and pride.”
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Manchester United fans are proud of their foreign players (Image: Mark Rickett/PA Images via Getty Images)
Ratcliffe’s subsequent “apology” ended badly. The founder and CEO of petrochemical conglomerate INEOS, which bought a 27.94% stake in United two years ago, stopped short of issuing a full apology and defended the spirit of his comments.
Mr Ratcliffe said: “I regret that my choice of words has offended and caused concern to some people in the UK and Europe, but it is important that I 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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