Manchester mayor Andy Burnham says Sir Jim Ratclife’s claim that “the UK has been colonised by immigrants” is “inaccurate, insulting, inflammatory and should be withdrawn”.
Ratcliffe is co-owner of Manchester United, a club with a long history of recruiting some of the finest overseas players to grace the English game.
Speaking to Sky News yesterday, Ratcliffe said: “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.
“The UK has been colonised by immigrants, really, hasn’t it?”
Ratcliffe bought stake in United in 2024
Ratcliffe, a billionaire who founded one of the world’s biggest chemical companies Ineos, lives in the tax haven of Monaco.
He purchased a 27.7% stake in United in February 2024 from the Glazer family, whose original acquisition of the Old Trafford club in 2005 was via a leveraged buyout that loaded it with debt.
Burnham said on X: “These comments go against everything for which Manchester has traditionally stood: a place where people of all races, faiths and none have pulled together over centuries to build our city and our institutions, including Manchester United FC.
“Calling for curbs on levels of immigration is one thing; portraying those who come here as a hostile invading force is quite another. It is inaccurate, insulting, inflammatory and should be withdrawn.
“Footballers who have arrived from all over the world to play in Greater Manchester have enhanced the life of our city-region, as have the many people working in Greater Manchester’s NHS and other essential services and industries.
“We appreciate their contribution as a city-region famous for the warmth of our welcome. If any criticism is needed, it should be directed towards those who have offered little contribution to our life here and have instead spent years siphoning wealth out of one of our proudest institutions.”
Prime Minister Kier Starmer also joined the criticism of Ratcliffe, calling his remarks “offensive and wrong”, as did the Manchester United Supporters Trust, whose statement read: “No fan should feel excluded from following or supporting the club because of their race, religion, nationality or background. Comments from the club’s senior leadership should make inclusion easier, not harder.
“This is not about politics; it is about ensuring that the custodians of Manchester United act in a way that unites supporters rather than marginalising any part of our fanbase.”
Ratcliffe’s time at Old Trafford has not been without controversy. He has sacked both Erik ten Hag and Ruben Amorim and made over 450 employees redundant.
“If you do difficult things, which we felt that we had to do at Manchester United… we felt like they were the right things to do. But you do become very unpopular for a while,” Ratcliffe added on Sky News.
“But you’ve got all the same issues with the country. If you really want to deal with the major issues of immigration, with people opting to take benefits rather than working for a living, if you want to deal with that, then you’re going to have to do some things which are unpopular, and show some courage.”
United are fourth in the Premier League following Tuesday night’s 1-1 draw at West Ham.
