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Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham says Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s claim that “the UK has been colonized by immigrants” is “inaccurate, offensive, inflammatory and should be retracted”.
Co-owner of Ratcliffe Manchester UnitedA club with a long history of recruiting some of the best foreign players to attract the English game.
Spoke to Sky News yesterdayRatcliffe said: “You can’t have nine million people on benefits and an economy with huge levels of immigration. I mean, the UK has been colonised. It costs a lot of money.
“The UK has been colonized by immigrants, really, hasn’t it?”
Ratcliffe bought a stake in United in 2024
Ratcliffe, a billionaire who founded Enos, one of the world’s largest chemical companies, lives in the tax haven of Monaco.
He bought a 27.7% stake in United in February 2024 from the Glazer family, which originally acquired the Old Trafford club in 2005 through a leveraged buyout that saddled it with debt.
Burnham said on X: “These comments go against everything Manchester has traditionally stood for: a place where for centuries people of all races, religions and no one have pulled together to build our city and our institutions, including Manchester United FC.
“It’s one thing to call for curbs on immigration levels; it’s quite another to portray those who come here as a hostile invading force. It’s inaccurate, offensive, inflammatory and should be withdrawn.
“Footballers who come from all over the world to play in Greater Manchester enhance the life of our city-region, as do the many people who work in Greater Manchester’s NHS and other essential services and industries.
“We appreciate his contribution as a city-state renowned for the warmth of our welcome. If any criticism is needed, it should be directed at those who have contributed little to our lives here and instead spent years extracting wealth from one of our proudest institutions.”
Prime Minister Kier Starr also joined Ratcliffe’s criticism, calling his comments “offensive and wrong”, as did the Manchester United Supporters Trust, whose statement read: “No fan should feel excluded from following or supporting a club because of their race, religion, nationality or background. The comments of the club’s senior leadership should not be made difficult.
“This is not about politics; it is about ensuring that Manchester United’s custodians act in a way that unites supporters rather than marginalizing any section of our fan base.”
Ratcliffe’s time at Old Trafford has not been without controversy. It has fired both Erik ten Hague and Ruben Amorim and made more than 450 employees redundant.
“If you do difficult things, which we felt we had to do at Manchester United … we felt they were the right things to do. But you become very unpopular for a while,” Ratcliffe added on Sky News.
“But you have the same issues with the country. If you really want to deal with the core issues of immigration, people choosing to take benefits rather than work for a living, if you want to deal with that, you have to do some things that are unpleasant and show some courage.”
United are fourth in the Premier League Following the 1-1 draw at West Ham on Tuesday night.
