Sir Jim Ratcliffe facing backlash after Man Utd co-owner's extraordinary 'colonised by immigrants' rant

Ratcliffe spoke toSky News and made the astonishing claim that Britain has been "colonised by immigrants". 

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."

Ratcliffe is wrong, as the Office of National Statistics suggests that the population of the UK in 2020 was 67 million in mid-2020, and was estimated at 70 million in 2024. The most recent year in which Ratcliffe's claim could be correct is 2000, when there were estimated to be 58.9 million people in the United Kingdom. 

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Ratcliffe also voiced his support for Reform leader Nigel Farage, adding: "I think Nigel is an intelligent man, and, I think he's got good intentions. But in a way, you could say exactly the same about Keir Starmer. I think it needs somebody who's prepared to be unpopular for a period of time to get the big issues sorted out."

Ratcliffe lives in Monaco. 

Ratcliffe has overseen swingeing cuts at Old Trafford, with multiple workers losing their jobs at a time when the club have spent millions regularly in the transfer market. 

On his popularity at Old Trafford, he said: "I've seen quite a bit of this at the football club. 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."

He added: "Well, I've been very unpopular at Manchester United because we've made lots of changes. 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."

Fans have already turned on Ratcliffe for his comments.

@JibbaJabb replied to Sky's post: "That'll go down well with the foreign contingent of his #mufc team. What an idiot."

@MarillionMark said: "Fancy a tax evading migrant from Monaco talking absolute nonsense and getting all the facts and figures wrong on this.  You can see now how he had scant disregard for the loyal, hardworking staff at United, some of who had worked there for decades. The man is pure scum!"

@Mugs7 added: "Complaining that too many people are on benefits yet he made 450 people redundant in 2 years at Utd!! He lives abroad himself in tax havens of Monaco & Switzerland. Utd are also owned by Americans. Make it make sense."

@NinaMc789 said: "Just as well Sir Grim doesn't live here then!  Awful comments."

@Peteholly1971 concluded: "Jim's brain has been colonised by mush."

United are next in action against Everton on Monday. It is unclear if Ratcliffe will attend the game. The club currently sit fourth in the Premier League table under interim manager Michael Carrick. They are currently one point clear of Chelsea in fifth, and are 11 behind current leaders Arsenal.