Sir Jim Ratcliffe criticised by Keir Starmer as Prime Minister hits out at Man Utd co-owner's 'offensive and wrong' rant on immigrants

The petrochemicals tycoon, who bought a 27 percent stake in United in 2024 in order to take control of the club's football operation, went on the offensive when speaking to Sky News economics editor Ed Conway. He said: "You can't have an economy with nine million people on benefits and huge levels of immigrants coming in," he said. "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 Office of National Statistics appears to contradict Ratcliffe's claims, stating that the UK's population was 58 million in 2000. The population grew from 67 million in 2020 to an estimated 70 million in 2024. 

Ratcliffe also criticised Starmer in the interview, claiming the Prime Minister was "too nice" and saying that the country needed a leader who was "prepared to be unpopular for a period of time to get the big issues sorted out". He praised the Reform leader Nigel Farage, who has pledged to deport illegal migrants and significantly reduce legal migration, describing him as "an intelligent man" with "good intentions".

Ratcliffe admitted that he has faced opposition for his leadership of United, including cost-cutting measures which have led to more than 600 workers being made redundant. Ratcliffe also oversaw the decision to extend Erik ten Hag's contract as coach in 2024 only to sack him four months later. He also fired sporting director Dan Ashworth five months into the job, ignoring his reservations about Ruben Amorim, who was then sacked 14 months after being appointed.

"Well, I've been very unpopular at Manchester United because we've made lots of changes," he said. "But for the better, in my view. And I think we're beginning to see some evidence in the football club that that's beginning to pay off. 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."

Starmer immediately responded to Ratcliffe, describing his comments as "offensive and wrong". He added: "Britain is a proud, tolerant and diverse country. Jim Ratcliffe should apologise."

Farage responded to Starmer's comments by saying: "Britain has undergone unprecedented mass immigration that has changed the character of many areas in our country. Labour may try to ignore that but Reform won’t."

The Prime Minister is not the only person to criticise Ratcliffe for his Sky interview. United fan group The 1958, which has staged numerous protests against Ratcliffe for raising ticket prices as well as targeting majority owners the Glazer family, called his remark "ill advised".

"Once again a total embarrassment whether in front of a camera or being interviewed," the group said in a statement. "Commenting on the issues of our country while living in Monaco to avoid paying tax is bad enough. However, his comments on Manchester United are particularly worrying. If his measure of improvement is hiring an interim manager after sacking their first choice because it was a bad decision to hire Amorim in the first place, then the jury is out. 

"Michael Carrick’s form is down to luck, not a measured long term development strategy and nothing this ownership can take any credit in. It’s clear the next manager will change the system again. If he cannot see the reasons why he’s unpopular then he is completely deluded. Completely out of touch with the core fan base that made our club what it is today. This is a worrying statement in so many ways and for all match-going supporters."

The Manchester United Muslim Supporters Club said it was "deeply concerned" by Ratcliffe' words. Their statement read: "The term 'colonised' is not neutral, it echoes language frequently used in far-right narratives that frame migrants as invaders and demographic threats. Such rhetoric has real-world consequences. The UK has experienced sustained increases in hate crimes in recent years, including rises in Islamophobia, anti-Semitism, racially motivated attacks and hostility towards migrants and people of colour.

"Manchester United is a global club built on diversity – on players, staff and supporters from every background, faith and ethnicity. The strength of our club and of our country lies in that diversity."

Anti-racism in football charity Kick It Out said: "Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s comments are disgraceful and deeply divisive at a time when football does so much to bring communities together. In addition to the inaccurate figures mentioned, it’s worth reminding him that Manchester United has a diverse fan base and plays in a city whose cultural history has been enriched by immigrants. This type of language and leadership has no place in English football, and we believe most fans will feel the same."