3 godzin temu
Ministers have intensified calls for Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe to apologize after he claimed the UK has been "colonised" by immigrants. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer branded the comments "offensive and wrong," while a justice minister labeled the billionaire "hypocritical" for his tax arrangements.
Ratcliffe made the controversial remarks in an interview with Sky News. «The UK is being colonised. It's costing too much money. The UK has been colonised by immigrants,» he said. He linked immigration to welfare costs, stating: «You can't have an economy with nine million people on benefits and huge levels of immigrants coming in.»
The Prime Minister responded swiftly on Wednesday via social media platform X: «Offensive and wrong. Britain is a proud, tolerant and diverse country.» He added: «Jim Ratcliffe should apologise.»
Government Doubles Down
Justice minister Jake Richards escalated the criticism Thursday morning on Times Radio, calling Ratcliffe "hypocritical." He said: «This man who moved to Monaco to save £4 billion in tax is now lecturing us about immigration.» The minister added: «There's something that I find slightly hypocritical about that.»
Richards condemned the language itself as particularly problematic. «That language is offensive to so many people,» he said. «It is completely absurd to think that our country is being 'colonised', which implies some kind of invasion or taken over. That's not right at all.»
The minister acknowledged legitimate concerns about immigration but drew a clear line. While describing debates about immigration levels and integration as "absolutely legitimate" and "really important," he stressed that Ratcliffe «got his facts wrong» and used offensive language.
Tax Controversy
The billionaire founder and chairman of Ineos, one of the world's largest chemical companies, allegedly saved £4 billion by relocating to Monaco. This detail has become central to the government's criticism of his immigration comments.
A Downing Street spokesperson stated that Ratcliffe's remarks «play into the hands of those who want to divide our country.» The No 10 spokesperson demanded: «Jim Ratcliffe should immediately apologise. His offensive remarks are wrong and play into the hands of those who want to divide our country.»
Manchester United Context
Ratcliffe acquired a minority share in Manchester United in late 2023, with his Ineos group subsequently taking control of football operations. His tenure has sparked controversy, with fans protesting before the recent home game against Fulham over contentious changes to ticket pricing and availability. The demonstration targeted both Ratcliffe and the club's other owners, the Glazers.
In his Sky News interview, Ratcliffe also described Reform UK leader Nigel Farage as an «intelligent man» with «good intentions.» He suggested the UK needs leadership willing to make unpopular decisions: «I think it needs somebody who's prepared to be unpopular for a period of time to get the big issues sorted out.»
Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
