Sir Jim Ratcliffe, the co-owner of Manchester United and the founder of INEOS, has apologized after receiving criticism for remarks he made in an interview with Ed Conway, Sky’s economics and data editor, claiming that immigrants had “colonized” the United Kingdom.
Ratcliffe admitted that his word choice had offended in a statement issued following the interview. “I apologize if my language offended or alarmed some people in the UK and Europe, but it is crucial to bring up the topic of well-managed and controlled immigration that promotes economic growth,” he said.
Ratcliffe clarified that he was responding to inquiries on UK policy at the European Industry Summit in Antwerp when he made those comments. He emphasized that his goal was to draw attention to the necessity for governments to strike a balance between investment in jobs, industry, and skills and migration in order to secure long-term development. He went on to say, “It is crucial that we continue to have an open discussion about the difficulties facing the UK.”
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, Chancellor Rachel Reeves, and Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey all strongly criticized the remarks and demanded that Ratcliffe provide an apology. However, several people, notably Liz Truss, the former prime minister of the Conservative Party, also backed the billionaire.
In the meantime, The Times stated that because Ratcliffe is a co-owner of Manchester United, the Football Association (FA) is looking into his comments.
