UK PM Demands Apology from ‘Offensive’ Ratcliffe

Prime Minister Keir Starmer has called on Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe to apologise after the 73-year-old told Sky News that Britain has been “colonised” by immigrants, comments Downing Street branded “offensive and wrong.”

Speaking to Sky News on Wednesday, Ratcliffe said: “You can’t have an economy with 9 million people on benefits and huge levels of immigrants coming in. I mean, the UK has been colonized. It’s costing too much money. ... The UK has been colonised by immigrants, really, hasn’t it?”

Within hours, Starmer responded on X: “Offensive and wrong. Britain is a proud, tolerant and diverse country. Jim Ratcliffe should apologise.”

The remarks triggered swift condemnation from fan groups and anti-discrimination bodies. The Manchester United Muslim Supporters Club (MUMSC) said Ratcliffe’s language “mirrors far-right narratives,” adding: “Manchester United is a global club built on diversity—on players, staff and supporters from every background, faith and ethnicity. The strength of our club, and of our country, lies in that diversity. We stand with all communities who reject racism, anti-Semitism, Islamophobia and hatred in all its forms, and we call for leadership that unites rather than divides.”

The Manchester United Supporters Trust echoed the concern, stating: “Comments from the club’s senior leadership should make inclusion easier, not harder.”

Kick It Out, football’s leading anti-discrimination organisation, said Ratcliffe’s views are “disgraceful and deeply divisive at a time when football does so much to bring communities together,” concluding: “This type of language and leadership has no place in English football, and we believe most fans will feel the same.”

As pressure mounts, the focus now shifts to whether Ratcliffe will issue the apology requested by the Prime Minister and, if not, how the backlash will affect both his public standing and Manchester United’s reputation as a club that prides itself on global inclusivity.