Manchester United co-owner faces criticism over immigration remarks
Jim Ratcliffe, billionaire co-owner of Manchester United, has faced political and public backlash after claiming the United Kingdom has been “colonized by immigrants,” drawing calls for an apology from Prime Minister Keir Starmer and criticism from supporters, reports a Qazinform News Agency correspondent.
“I don’t think the economy is in a good place,” Ratcliffe said. “You can’t have an economy with 9 million people on benefits and huge levels of immigrants coming in. I mean, the UK has been colonized. It’s costing too much money. The UK has been colonized by immigrants, really, hasn’t it?”
He later apologized for his “choice of language,” while stressing that “it is important to raise the issue of controlled and well managed immigration that supports economic growth.”
Official data shows the UK population increased from about 67 million in 2020 to roughly 69.5 million, lower than the figures cited by Ratcliffe.
Starmer described the remarks as “offensive and wrong,” adding that “Britain is a proud, tolerant and diverse country.”
Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham called the comments “inaccurate, insulting and inflammatory,” noting that international players and migrant workers “have enhanced the life of our city region.”
Manchester United said it “prides itself on being an inclusive and welcoming club” that reflects “the unity and resilience of all the communities we are so privileged to represent.”
Supporter groups voiced concern. The Manchester United Supporters Trust stated that the club “belongs to all of its supporters” and that “no fan should feel excluded.” The Stretford Sikhs supporters club warned that “using language that alienates the very people who built this city and support this club is dangerous and divisive.”
Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that the United Kingdom is more likely than any other country to view immigration as its most pressing national issue, according to a recent global survey by Gallup.
