Jim Ratcliffe: “The UK Has Been Colonized by Immigrants”

Sir Jim Ratcliffe, the billionaire founder of INEOS and co-owner of Manchester United, sparked widespread controversy in a February 2026 Sky News interview by declaring that “the UK’s been colonized by immigrants,” arguing that massive immigration levels—coupled with around nine million people on benefits—are straining the economy and “costing too much money.”

Jim pointed to a population jump from about 58 million in 2020 to roughly 70 million as evidence of rapid demographic change driven by inflows, suggesting the country has effectively been “colonized” in a reversal of historical British imperialism, and that addressing it would require unpopular but courageous political action.

The provocative remarks, made by a Monaco tax resident who has invested heavily in British football, ignited fierce debate across media and social platforms, with critics highlighting the irony of his own relocation and wealth while supporters viewed it as a blunt acknowledgment of pressures on public services, government benefits, and infrastructure amid ongoing high illegal immigration numbers.