Starmer calls for apology from Sir Jim Ratcliffe over ‘offensive and wrong’ immigration feedback | EUROtoday

Sir Keir Starmer has demanded an apology from billionaire Man Utd co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe after he sparked outrage on Wednesday night by saying that Britain is being “colonised by immigrants”.

The businessman, who has been residing in tax-free Monaco since 2020, is founder and chair of one of many world’s largest chemical corporations, Ineos, which was granted £120m in UK state assist to guard jobs final yr.

Mr Ratcliffe stated that immigration is “costing too much money” because of the variety of folks “on benefits” in an interview with Sky News on Wednesday.

“You can’t have an economy with nine million people on benefits and huge levels of immigrants coming in,” he stated. “I imply, the UK is being colonised. It’s costing an excessive amount of cash. The UK has been colonised by immigrants.”

The prime minister hit back in a statement on X on Wednesday, saying: “Offensive and wrong. Britain is a proud, tolerant and diverse country. Jim Ratcliffe should apologise.”

Mr Ratcliffe also went on to share dubious information on population statistics in the UK.

“I mean, the population of the UK was 58 million in 2020, now it’s 70 million,” he said. “That’s 12 million people.”

The Office for National Statistics estimates that the population of the UK was in fact 67 million in 2020 and was last close to 58 million over a quarter of a century ago in 2000.

Muslim Manchester United Supporters group said it was “deeply concerned” by the comments, adding that “such rhetoric has real world consequences”.

Mr Ratcliffe said that addressing the “major issues of immigration” and people choosing benefits over work would require “unpopular” actions and “courage”, despite Ineos employing more than 26,000 people across 194 sites in 29 countries across the world.

Mr Ratcliffe was one of the most vocal proponents of Brexit before moving to Monaco in its aftermath.

As prime minister Keir Starmer resisted calls to quit amid the fallout from the latest release of the Epstein files citing the “fighting against Reform UK, Mr Ratcliffe said Sir Keir was “too nice”.

“I don’t know whether it’s just the apparatus that hasn’t allowed Keir to do it or, or he’s maybe too nice – I mean, Keir is a nice man,” he said. “I like him, but it’s a tough job and I think you have to do some difficult things with the UK to get it back on track, because at the moment I don’t think the economy is in a good state.”

Describing Reform UK leader Nigel Farage as an “intelligent man” with “good intentions”, he acknowledged that similar thoughts had been expressed about Sir Keir as he entered government.

“I think it needs somebody who’s prepared to be unpopular for a period of time to get the big issues sorted out,” he concluded.

He in contrast his expertise of managing Manchester United to turning the nation round, explaining he had additionally been “unpopular” in the beginning of his tenure.

Sir Jim acquired a minority stake in Manchester United in late 2023, together with his Ineos group subsequently assuming management of the membership’s soccer operations.

His tenure has already seen numerous contentious modifications, significantly regarding ticket pricing and availability, which have drawn vital ire from United followers.