William James
LONDON (Reuters) – British billionaire Jim Ratcliffe said on Thursday he was sorry for offending some people when he said Britain was “colonized by immigrants”, after Prime Minister Keir Starmer joined criticism of the comments.
Ratcliffe, one of Britain’s most successful businessmen, issued a statement in response to the outcry, saying it was important to raise the issue of immigration but that he regretted that his “choice of language” had caused concern.
The founder of chemicals giant INEOS, owner of nearly a third of Manchester United, told Sky News that large numbers of immigrants and people living on benefits were damaging the economy.
Finance minister: Comments ‘disgusting’
“You can’t have an economy with nine million people on welfare and a huge influx of immigrants. I mean, Britain has been colonized – it costs too much money,” Ratcliffe said in an interview broadcast on Wednesday.
“Britain has been colonized by immigrants, really, hasn’t it?” he added.
Starmer said the comments were wrong and would be exploited by those who want to divide the country. Finance Minister Rachel Reeves said the comments were “unacceptable” and “disgusting”.
Ineos released a statement from Ratcliffe on Thursday in response to “reports of his comments”.
He said: “I am sorry that my choice of language has offended and caused concern to some people in the UK and Europe, but it is important to raise the issue of controlled and well-managed immigration that supports economic growth.”
He said he wanted to stress that the government must manage immigration while investing in skills, industry and jobs to ensure everyone shares in long-term prosperity, and that “it is vital that we maintain an open debate on the challenges facing the UK”.
A spokesman for Starmer said he was right to apologize. Asked whether an apology for the offense caused rather than the comment itself would be sufficient, the spokesman said questions about the details of the apology were raised by Ratcliffe.
Manchester United fans call for word ‘colonial’ to be used
His comments were condemned by politicians, campaigners and United fan groups, including its Muslim Supporters Club, who said far-right activists often use the word “colonial” to frame immigrants as invaders.
“Public discourse shapes public behavior,” the organization said. “When influential figures adopt language that reflects extremist rhetoric, it risks legitimizing bias and deepening divisions.”
Others pointed out that United’s first-team squad is largely made up of international players and staff and questioned whether Ratcliffe should be commenting on British politics after moving to the tax haven of Monaco.
Before Ratcliffe responded, Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham said Ratcliffe’s comments were inflammatory and should be withdrawn.
Immigration debate intensifies
Immigration has been one of the top issues for British voters, according to opinion polls, and has helped fuel the rise of Nigel Farage’s right-wing populist party Reform Britain.
Rhetoric around immigration has hardened in recent years, with a wave of protests last summer breaking out outside hotels housing asylum seekers. 2024 also saw widespread unrest, sparked by false information circulating online that a teenager who murdered three young girls was an Islamic immigrant.
Sky said Ratcliffe cited incorrect data to support his argument. He said that since 2020, the UK population has increased from 58 million to 70 million. The Office for National Statistics estimates that the UK population will be 67 million in mid-2020 and 69 million in mid-2024.
The population in 2000 was approximately 59 million. Ratcliffe and his office did not immediately respond to Reuters questions about the numbers he used.
Farage responded to the comments, saying Britain had experienced mass immigration that had changed the character of many parts of the country. “Labour may try to ignore this, but the Reform Party will not,” he said.
(Reporting by Sam Tabahriti, William James and Muvija M; Writing by Kate Holton; Editing by Edward Tobin, Toby Chopra and Andrew Heavens)