Manchester United owner Jim Ratcliffe was forced to apologize for television comments in which he said that "the United Kingdom has been colonized by immigrants." He told Sky News: "You can't have an economy with nine million people on welfare and at the same time huge levels of migrants coming in." He added: "The United Kingdom was really colonized by immigrants, wasn't it?"

Published on: 02/12/2026 - 18:49

Manchester United co-owner, British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe, apologized Thursday for comments he made in a television interview in which he said that "the United Kingdom has been colonized by immigrants."

The founder and chairman of Ineos Chemicals spoke about what he described as an “error in the use of language,” and said: “I apologize that my choice of expression has offended some people in the United Kingdom and Europe and raised concern, but it is important to raise the issue of orderly and well-managed migration that supports economic growth.”

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Ratcliffe, 73, told Britain's Sky News: "You cannot have an economy with nine million people receiving social benefits and at the same time huge levels of immigrants coming in."

"I mean the UK has been colonized. It costs a lot of money," he added. "The UK was actually colonized by immigrants, wasn't it?"

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He also cited inaccurate statistics, claiming that the UK's population was 58 million in 2020 and that it has "now risen to 70 million."

But estimates by the British Office for National Statistics show that the UK’s population was actually 67 million in mid-2020 and just under 70 million in mid-2024.

France 24/AFP

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