Jim Ratcliffe later apologised, saying: 'I am sorry that my choice of language has offended some people'. Photograph: Lucy North/PAThe “inflammatory” charge by Manchester United co-owner Jim Ratcliffe that Britain has “been colonised by immigrants” has been sharply condemned by the biggest Irish immigrant group in Britain. Ratcliffe’s remarks “are not just historically illiterate, it also demeans the rich cultural and economic legacy of those who have contributed to modern Britain”, the Irish in Britain organisation said. In a Sky News interview, billionaire Ratcliffe argued that immigration and welfare costs were harming the United Kingdom’s economy. The history of immigration into Britain was “complex, yet it affirms a consistent truth: prosperity has long relied on migration.

Source: The Irish Times February 13, 2026 20:59 UTC