LONDON (AP) 鈥� The billionaire co-owner of the Manchester United soccer team apologized Thursday after he triggered a storm of criticism by saying that Britain had been 鈥渃olonized鈥� by immigrants.
The original comments from Jim Ratcliffe, who is also the founder and chairman of chemicals maker Ineos, had drawn a swift rebuke from Prime Minister Keir Starmer who described them as 鈥渙ffensive and wrong.鈥� That sentiment was seconded by many soccer fans and figures across the spectrum of U.K. politics.
The controversial remarks came in a wide-ranging interview with Sky 草莓传媒 in which Ratcliffe touched on the challenges facing the European chemicals industry, politics and the weakness of the U.K. economy. They were a top news story in Britain where his position as one of the country鈥檚 richest people and the co-owner of one of its most successful soccer clubs make him an influential voice on politics and the economy.
Touching a nerve
Ratcliffe said Thursday that he had intended to stress the need for governments to manage migration and invest in the economy to ensure 鈥渓ong-term prosperity is shared by everyone.
鈥淚 am sorry that my choice of language has offended some people in the U.K. and Europe and caused concern,鈥� he said in a statement. 鈥淏ut it is important to raise the issue of controlled and well-managed immigration that supports economic growth.鈥�
Ratcliffe鈥檚 comments touched a nerve in Britain, where . While many people celebrate the contributions of immigrants, others complain that the newcomers are straining public services and failing to integrate into British society.
The and its leader, Nigel Farage, have used anti-immigrant policies to push their way into the mainstream of British politics. Reform, which won just five seats in Parliament in 2024, now leads most nationwide opinion polls.
Starmer鈥檚 left-leaning Labour Party in that election but is now after a series of policy missteps and its failure to prevent thousands of asylum seekers from on inflatable boats. The prime minister took to social media late Wednesday to criticize Ratcliffe.
鈥淏ritain is a proud, tolerant and diverse country,鈥欌�� Starmer said on X. 鈥淛im Ratcliffe should apologize.鈥�
Even the team itself felt it necessary to issue a statement given the backlash, insisting it is an 鈥渋nclusive and welcoming club鈥� with a 鈥渄iverse group of players.鈥�
Challenges to the billionaire owner
Others accused Ratcliffe of 鈥渉ypocrisy鈥� because he has chosen to make his home in Monaco to reduce his U.K. tax bill.
鈥淭here鈥檚 also something that I find quite offensive, that this man who moved to Monaco to save 4 billion pounds ($5.46 billion) in tax is now lecturing us about immigration,鈥� Justice Minister Jake Richards told Times Radio.
Ratcliffe told Sky 草莓传媒 that the U.K. has 鈥渓ots of problems,鈥� including a weak economy, crime and a struggling health care system. The government won鈥檛 be able to control immigration or deal with the problem of people choosing to live on social welfare payments rather than work for a living unless it is willing to make difficult choices, he said.
鈥淵ou can鈥檛 have an economy with 9 million people on benefits and huge levels of immigrants coming in,鈥� Ratcliffe said. 鈥淚 mean, the U.K.鈥檚 been colonized.鈥�
The problem with ‘colonized’
The use of the word 鈥渃olonized鈥欌�� is problematic because it suggests immigrants are taking over, said Sunder Katwala, head of the think tank Britain First, which studies public attitudes on immigration and integration. This is particularly true in Britain, which is re-examining its own history as a nation that once colonized large parts of the world.
鈥淚 think the language of colonized is that (of) dominance, subjugation, dispossession,鈥欌�� Katwala told the BBC. 鈥淚t鈥檚 very hard to have that debate in a way that makes sense to all the different kinds of people in Britain 鈥� white, Black and Asian 鈥� rather than seeming to be an argument about one group against another group.鈥�
Andy Burnham, the mayor of Greater Manchester, said that his city in northern England is a place where people of all races and backgrounds have 鈥減ulled together鈥� to build the community and institutions like Manchester United.
鈥淐alling for curbs on levels of immigration is one thing, portraying those who come here as a hostile invading force is quite another,鈥� Burnham wrote on X. 鈥淚t is inaccurate, insulting and inflammatory and should be withdrawn.鈥�
鈥淚f 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,鈥� he wrote.
Anti-racism groups also challenged Ratcliffe on his figures. He said that the U.K. population had grown to 70 million from 58 million in 2020. But the Office for National Statistics said that the U.K. population was 67 million in 2020 and was estimated to be 69.5 million in 2025.
A diverse fan base
鈥淚n addition to the inaccurate figures mentioned, it鈥檚 worth reminding him that Manchester United has a diverse fan base and plays in a city whose cultural history has been enriched by immigrants,鈥� the campaign group Kick It Out, which fights racism in soccer, said in a statement. 鈥淭his type of language and leadership has no place in English football, and we believe most fans will feel the same.鈥�
Ratcliffe, a boyhood fan of United, for an initial 25% stake in the club in 2024.
He has faced protests from fans in recent weeks as supporters have criticized the United鈥檚 ownership 鈥� including the U.S. Glazer family 鈥� over the running of the club.
Ratcliffe鈥檚 investment saw him assume control of soccer operations after years of decline following the retirement of longtime manager Alex Ferguson in 2013. But he presided over United鈥檚 last year, and instigated swathes of , while increasing ticket prices.
Ratcliffe acknowledged that recent decisions had made him unpopular with Manchester United fans. But he said those changes were needed to make the club successful, just as the government must mark tough choices to turn the country around.
鈥淵ou鈥檝e got all the same issues with the country, don鈥檛 you?鈥� he said. 鈥淚f you want to deal the major issues 鈥� then you鈥檙e going to have to do some things that are unpopular.鈥�
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James Robson contributed to this report from Manchester.
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