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Sir Jim Ratcliffe says 'colonised by immigrants' claim not meant to be 'inflammatory'

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The Athletic
2026/05/15 - 11:54 501 مشاهدة
AFC BournemouthArsenalAston VillaBrentfordBrighton & Hove AlbionBurnleyChelseaCrystal PalaceEvertonFulhamLeeds UnitedLiverpoolManchester CityManchester UnitedNewcastle UnitedNottingham ForestSunderlandTottenham HotspurWest Ham UnitedWolverhampton WanderersScores & ScheduleStandingsFantasyThe Athletic FC NewsletterPodcastsMan Utd Table Carrick OfferThe Liverpool Blame GameRatcliffe’s Estimated Wealth FallsPL PredictionsSir Jim Ratcliffe says ‘colonised by immigrants’ claim not meant to be ‘inflammatory’Ratcliffe attracted criticism for his comments in February Chris Brunskill/Fantasista/Getty Images) Share articleSir Jim Ratcliffe, Manchester United’s minority owner, has said his claim the UK has been “colonised by immigrants” was not intended to be “inflammatory”. The petrochemicals billionaire was widely condemned for the remarks, made during an interview with Sky News in February, which prompted criticism from the UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, who described the comments as “offensive and wrong”. Ratcliffe subsequently apologised that his “choice of language” had “offended some people in the UK and Europe”, while United issued a statement stressing the club’s “inclusive and welcoming” values without naming the 73-year-old. In an interview with The Times, speaking about the controversy for the first time, Ratcliffe said immigration has had positive effects on the UK’s economy, but did not row back on his concerns about a perceived laissez-faire attitude to the issue on the part of the UK government. “Me and my big mouth. It wasn’t meant to be an inflammatory remark. It was just meant to be a concern about the UK economy being stressed by a welfare cost it can’t really afford,” Ratcliffe said. “Much of the value added in the UK has come from people who’ve moved here. What you don’t want are lots of people coming in who are going to not work and not make a contribution, and you haven’t done due diligence on them.” While Ratcliffe told The Times that he is not affected by criticism of his public remarks, he claimed to be troubled by a perceived intolerance towards differences of opinion and emphasised the importance of having freedom to discuss potentially divisive topics. “That you’re told to shut up and apologise, that you can’t talk about it, is the thing that most worries me — that’s China or Iran or Russia, isn’t it?” he said. Ratcliffe’s comments invited criticism from politicians, United supporters’ groups and equality organisations. The Football Association launched an investigation into whether United’s minority owner had brought the game into disrepute but decided against taking action. “You can’t have an economy with nine million people on benefits and huge levels of immigrants coming in,” Ratcliffe told Sky News in February. “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.” The UK’s Office for National Statistics estimated that the UK population was 69.5 million in November 2025, compared to 67.1 million in 2020. The ONS also estimated that the UK’s long-term net migration was 204,000 from 2024 to 2025. While speaking to The Times, Ratcliffe also credited the improvement in United’s form and qualification for the Champions League to the appointment of Michael Carrick as head coach until the end of the season. The Athletic reported on Friday that United are proposing an initial offer of a two-year contract to Carrick to become their next permanent manager, with the option of an additional year. Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms
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