Keir Starmer calls Ratcliffe’s immigration comments ‘offensive,’ seeks apology
Prime Minister Keir Starmer has demanded an apology from Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe after the billionaire businessman said the UK had been “colonised by immigrants” during a televised interview.
Speaking late Wednesday, Starmer described the remarks as “offensive” and “wrong,” adding: “Britain is a proud, tolerant and diverse country. Jim Ratcliffe should apologise.”
The criticism followed comments Ratcliffe made to Sky News at the European Industry Summit in Antwerp, where he discussed what he sees as mounting political and economic pressures facing the UK.
Immigration and population claims
In the interview, Ratcliffe linked immigration levels and welfare spending to the country’s broader challenges.
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“You can't have an economy with nine-million people on benefits and huge levels of immigrants coming in. I mean, the UK has been colonised. It's costing too much money,” he said.
He later added: “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.”
However, data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) does not support that timeline. According to official figures, the UK population was approximately 67 million in mid-2020 and reached about 70 million in mid-2024. In 2000, the population stood at roughly 58.9 million.
Sky News reported that Ratcliffe warned of “profound political, social and economic challenges” and argued that immigration is placing strain on public finances.
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Immigration has been one of the most contentious issues in British politics in recent years, dominating debate across party lines and shaping electoral campaigns. The Labour government has faced sustained pressure from opposition parties to outline how it plans to manage migration levels while supporting economic growth.
Broader political commentary
Beyond immigration, Ratcliffe offered pointed observations about political leadership.
He suggested Starmer may be “maybe too nice” and argued that national leaders must be willing to take difficult and unpopular decisions in order to address long-term structural problems.
Referring to Reform UK leader Nigel Farage a prominent figure in the Brexit campaign and head of the right-wing party Ratcliffe described him as an “intelligent man” with “good intentions,” adding: “But in a way, you could say exactly the same about Keir when Keir came in.”
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Ratcliffe concluded that the country needs “somebody who’s prepared to be unpopular for a period of time to get the big issues sorted out.”
Drawing parallels with football
The INEOS chairman also compared political reform to his experience overseeing changes at Manchester United, where he has been involved in a series of restructuring decisions since becoming co-owner.
“I've seen quite a bit of this at the football club,” he said, arguing that necessary reforms can trigger backlash before results become visible.
He acknowledged becoming unpopular after making changes at the club but said he believes there are early signs the decisions are beginning to pay off. Applying that logic to national politics, he suggested that tackling immigration and welfare dependency would similarly require political courage.
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The exchange underscores how immigration remains a flashpoint in British public life and how interventions from prominent business leaders can quickly escalate into political confrontation.
Sources: Sky News, Office for National Statistics
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