Sir Jim Ratcliffe, the British billionaire and co-owner of Manchester United, which is one of the most valuable soccer clubs in the world, has apologized after he received backlash for saying that the United Kingdom has been “colonized by immigrants.”
Per Forbes, Ratcliffe’s net worth stands at £12.8 billion ($17.5 billion). The 73-year-old has reportedly been a resident of Monaco since 2020. The sovereign city-state is a tax haven for the wealthy.
Ratcliffe, who is also the founder of the INEOS chemicals group, made those comments during an interview with Sky News‘ Ed Conway, Sky Sports reported. The 73-year-old sent out a word of caution regarding Britain having to endure political, social and economic setbacks, making reference to the supposedly huge influx of immigrants into the European nation over the last few years as one of the reasons.
“You can’t have an economy with nine-million people on benefits and huge levels of immigrants coming in,” Ratcliffe 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 58m in 2020, now it’s 70m. That’s 12m people.”
But per the Office of National Statistics (ONS), the UK’s population in mid-2020 was estimated at 67 million. It was then estimated at 70 million in mid-2024. In 2000, the UK‘s population was said to be 58.9 million.
Following the backlash that came his way, Ratcliffe issued an apology in a statement on Thursday.
“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,” he said.
“My comments were made while answering questions about UK policy at the European Industry Summit in Antwerp, where I was discussing the importance of economic growth, jobs, skills and manufacturing in the UK.”
Ratcliffe added: “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.”
Among the people who responded to Ratcliffe’s comments was the UK’s prime minister, Sir Keir Starmer. He stated on Wednesday that the 73-year-old’s comments were “offensive and wrong,” Sky Sports reported.
Responding to his apology, the Prime Minister’s official spokesperson said that “the PM asked for an apology and one has been issued. Absolutely right.”
“There should be debate on immigration, but Britain was built for all and the comments were divisive.”
Kick It Out, which is an organization fighting racism and discrimination in British soccer, also condemned Ratcliffe’s comments.
“[They] are disgraceful and deeply divisive at a time when football does so much to bring communities together,” the organization told Sky Sports.
“In addition to the inaccurate figures mentioned, it’s worth reminding him that Manchester United has a diverse fanbase and plays in a city whose cultural history has been enriched by immigrants.
“This type of language and leadership has no place in English football and we believe most fans will feel the same.”
Per Forbes, Manchester United is the second most valuable soccer club in the world. Besides its $6.6 billion valuation as at 2025, the soccer club additionally has one of the largest global fanbases. The franchise’s players and staff also include immigrants and descendants of immigrants.
READ ALSO: African nations unite to declare colonialism a crime and press for reparations
