Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has confirmed he will meet Reform UK leader Nigel Farage following Gary Neville’s “angry middle-aged white man” comments.
Nigel Farage is set to hold a surprise meeting with Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe. Mr Ratcliffe, who founded and holds a majority stake in petrochemical giant Ineos, is best known in sporting circles for owning French club Nice and, since February 2024, owning a minority stake in the Red Devils.
The 72-year-old was ranked seventh in this year’s annual list of Britain’s richest people. And as one of the country’s richest men, he announced plans to meet Reform UK leader Farage by December.
Speaking on The Business podcast, the billionaire revealed: “I’m going to meet Nigel Farage before Christmas. He asked for a meeting. I met Kemi Badenoch and we had a hearing.”
But when asked about the possibility of donating money to Reform or other political parties, Ratcliffe emphasized his neutrality, saying: “I’ve always been neutral towards political parties. I’ve never taken sides.”
“All I want is someone who will run the country well. I don’t think I’ll pay for the policies. That’s not my style.”
read more: Sky Sports clarifies Gary Neville’s position following ‘angry white man’ controversyread more: Gary Neville urges England to ‘become a team again’ as flags line up and tensions rise
Mr Ratcliffe emphasized his impartiality and said of Prime Minister Keir Starmer: “I think he is a reasonable person. He is a good person and has good intentions, but I don’t know if it will be easy to manage the party. He is a very good person.”
“This isn’t a criticism, because I like him, but we have to make some difficult decisions, and maybe he’s being a little too nice.”
This comes after Manchester United legend Gary Neville recently said “angry middle-aged white men” were displaying St George’s crosses and Union Jack flags to stir up anger and divide the country.
Sky Sports pundit Neville, who has previously discussed matters relating to United and Manchester City with Sir Jim, has come under fire after the former England defender, who has 85 caps, claimed that “I am a proud supporter of England, Great Britain and our country”, with some calling his comments unpatriotic.
Almost underscoring Neville’s point, Mr Farage is as widely known for his vocal support for a flag to be flown “across the country” as he is for his immigration plans, which have been labeled a “manifesto of hatred”. A meeting with Ratcliffe is unlikely to impress Neville.
Former England defender Neville said: “Last night’s news and this morning’s news were all about horrific attacks in the Jewish community just a mile from here.
“Last night, as I was driving down Lyttelton Road on my way to Salford City, I saw maybe 50 or 60 Union Jack flags, and on my way back I passed along the parallel Bury New Road, which is centered around the Jewish community and they are out on the streets defiantly, not hiding or being afraid.
“As I was driving home last night, I kept thinking: We’re all at each other’s throats, and the divisions that are being created are really disgusting. Primarily, they’re being created by angry middle-aged white men who know exactly what they’re doing.”
Mr Neville continued: “The Union Jack flag is wrong when used in a negative way. I am a proud supporter of England, the United Kingdom and our country and will defend the Union Jack as one of the best places to live anywhere in the world.”
Mr Farage labeled Neville’s comments “out of touch with reality”.
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