Manchester United F.C. co-owner Jim Ratcliffe apologised on Thursday after saying the “UK has been colonised by immigrants” during a television interview.

The billionaire founder and chairman of chemicals giant INEOS made the remarks while arguing that “huge levels of immigration” had damaged the British economy.

Following calls for him to apologise — including from Prime Minister Keir Starmer — the 73-year-old issued a statement expressing regret.

“I am sorry that my choice of language has offended some people in the UK and Europe and caused concern,” Ratcliffe said. “But it is important to raise the issue of controlled and well-managed immigration that supports economic growth.

“My comments were made while answering questions about UK policy at the European Industry Summit in Antwerp, where I was discussing the importance of economic growth, jobs, skills and manufacturing in the UK.”

He added that his intention had been to stress that governments must manage migration alongside investment in skills, industry and employment so that long-term prosperity is shared broadly.

“It is critical that we maintain an open debate on the challenges facing the UK,” he said.

‘Inflammatory and divisive’

A spokesperson for Starmer said: “The Prime Minister asked for an apology, and one’s been issued, and it’s absolutely right that Jim Ratcliffe has apologised for that language.”

Pressed on whether the apology went far enough, the spokesperson added: “It’s for Mr Ratcliffe to speak to his apology… It’s not for me.”

The spokesperson said there should be a serious debate about immigration policy, but that the prime minister believed in “a Britain built for all” and that Ratcliffe’s earlier comments had been “inflammatory and divisive”.

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

His comments could potentially prompt disciplinary action from the The Football Association for bringing the game into disrepute.

During the interview, Ratcliffe also cited incorrect population figures, claiming the UK population had risen from 58 million in 2020 to 70 million now. Data from the Office for National Statistics shows the population was about 67 million in mid-2020 and just under 70 million in mid-2024.

Hours after the interview aired, Starmer described the remarks as “offensive and wrong” and urged Ratcliffe to apologise. Anti-discrimination body Kick It Out condemned the comments as “disgraceful and deeply divisive”.

In a statement, Kick It Out said that beyond the inaccurate statistics, it was worth remembering that Manchester United has a diverse global fan base and plays in a city whose cultural history has been shaped and enriched by immigrants.

“This type of language and leadership has no place in English football, and we believe most fans will feel the same,” the organisation said.

Several United supporters’ groups criticised Ratcliffe’s remarks, while the mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, said that calling for tighter immigration controls was “one thing”, but portraying those who come to Britain “as a hostile invading force is quite another”.