United View: Ratcliffe's comments cause a stir

Sir Jim Ratcliffe made alarming comments last week that have left many divided, dragging Manchester United into a political discussion about immigration in the UK. 

Ratcliffe said that Britain has been ‘colonised by immigrants’ during an interview with Sky News.

“The UK has been colonised by immigrants, really. Hasn’t it? I mean, the population of the UK was 58 million in 2020, now it’s 70 million. That’s 12 million people.”

“You can’t have an economy with nine million people on benefits and huge levels of immigrants coming in.”

The Office for National Statistics found that, in mid-2025, the population was around 69.4 million, up from 66.7 million in 2020. 

That 12 million increase actually took place over 30 years, with the population being estimated at 58 million in 1995. 

However, population growth between 2020 and 2023 accounted for 98% of UK population growth, according to Oxford University’s Migration Observatory.

While the number of people on benefits has increased in recent years, among the 10 million working-aged people on several benefits in the UK, a large portion were working, with Universal Credit and Housing Benefits topping up their income.

There is certainly a discussion to be had about safe and legal immigration in every country, but as a figurehead of one of the biggest football clubs in the world, you can’t be coming out with misguided and imprecise comments about a situation such as this.

Manchester United has been shaped by people outside of the UK, whether it be Eric Cantona, Cristiano Ronaldo or Bruno Fernandes. 

Even outside of the playing staff, there are thousands under the employment of Manchester United, be it coaching, stewarding, hospitality, office work or community work.

The desire to seek a better life is a fundamental human one, whether that be to escape conflict or pursue opportunity elsewhere - a freedom Ratcliffe exercised by taking up residency in the tax haven of Monaco.

In the wake of this interview, the co-owner of the football club has come out to apologise, saying, “I am sorry that my choice of language has offended 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.”

His comments also garnered criticism from the Manchester United Supporters Trust and political figures like Keir Starmer and Andy Burnham, the latter of whom has been a strong supporter of Ratcliffe’s plans to build a new stadium for the Reds. 

Whether that will affect the plans for a ‘Wembley of the North’ is yet to be seen.

Manchester City manager, Pep Guardiola, was asked about this situation, saying, “I won’t comment on what Sir Jim Ratcliffe said… but all around the world, all the countries, we treat the immigrant people, or the people coming from another country, (as) the problem that our countries have. And it’s a big, big, big, big, big problem.”

At a time when optimism around Manchester United was growing, these comments are an unnecessary distraction of Ratcliffe’s own making. 

If he wants to contribute to this discussion, he would do well to come with accurate figures and more considered language, because the subject deserves better.

Manchester United are back in action on Monday, facing Everton at the Hill Dickinson Stadium as they look to continue their pursuit of Champions League football.