Starmer demands apology after Manchester United co-owner Ratcliffe says UK ‘colonised’ by immigrants

Prime Minister Keir Starmer has demanded an immediate apology from Sir Jim Ratcliffe, the billionaire co-owner of Manchester United, after the businessman made inflammatory comments about immigration in a Sky News interview recently.

What Ratcliffe said

In the Sky News interview, Ratcliffe stated:

"You can't have an economy with nine million people on benefits and huge levels of immigrants coming in. 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"

Political response

Starmer condemned the remarks as "offensive and wrong," taking to X to issue a sharp rebuke. The Prime Minister highlighted three core points: Britain is a "proud, tolerant, and diverse country," the language "plays into the hands of those who want to divide our country," and a formal apology should be issued immediately.

Football community speaks out

The backlash has extended beyond Westminster into the football world. The supporters group Kick It Out branded Ratcliffe's language as "disgraceful" and "divisive," pointing out that Manchester United itself is a globally recognised club built on diversity and inclusion.

Widespread public backlash

The comments have received severe condemnation across the football community and the general public, with many viewing the remarks as divisive and out of touch with modern Britain's diverse society.

Critics and several media outlets pointed out that Ratcliffe, who resides in Monaco and has been described as a tax exile, stated that the UK population had increased by 12 million since 2020. However, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) estimates that the population of the UK was 67 million in mid-2020 and 70 million in mid-2024.