Man United Co-Owner Jim Ratcliffe Faces Fan Fury After Immigration Claims and 'Unpopular' Admission

By: Shawn
‎Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has drawn widespread attention after making strong statements about immigration during a Sky News interview. The INEOS owner spoke about what he sees as serious problems facing the UK and also acknowledged he is not currently popular with sections of the Old Trafford fanbase.
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‎Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s Sky News interview sparks social media outrage after immigration claims and comments about his unpopular restructuring decisions at Manchester United.
‎Getty Images Sport 
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‎During the interview, Ratcliffe claimed that Britain has effectively been taken over by immigration.
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‎He argued that maintaining an economy is difficult when nine million people are on benefits while immigration levels remain high. He described the financial impact as excessive. Ratcliffe also referenced population changes, claiming the UK population increased from 58 million in 2020 to 70 million, describing this as a rise of 12 million people.
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‎Statistics from the Office of National Statistics contradict this timeline. Official records show the UK population stood at roughly 67 million in mid-2020 and was projected to reach around 70 million by 2024. The last period where the population was near 58 million was around 2000, when estimates placed it at 58.9 million.
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‎Ratcliffe also spoke positively about Reform leader Nigel Farage, calling him intelligent and well-meaning. He added that similar praise could be applied to Keir Starmer and said solving major national challenges requires leadership willing to take unpopular decisions.
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‎Ratcliffe is based in Monaco.
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‎At Manchester United, Ratcliffe has implemented major financial cuts, resulting in staff redundancies, despite consistent high spending on player transfers.
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‎He explained that difficult decisions at the club were necessary and believed to be correct, even if they damaged his popularity temporarily.
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‎He said he has become unpopular because of the scale of change but believes those changes were for improvement. He also said early signs suggest these decisions are starting to benefit the football club.
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‎Ratcliffe compared this approach to national policy, saying addressing immigration and benefit reliance would require bold decisions that may not be popular but would require courage.
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‎Supporters quickly reacted online following the interview.
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‎One commenter suggested his statements would be poorly received by foreign Manchester United players. Another criticised him for discussing UK matters while living in Monaco and questioned his use of statistics. Others pointed out contradictions between his criticism of benefit use and job losses at United, as well as his residence abroad. Some labelled his comments unacceptable, while another made a mocking remark about his thinking.
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‎Manchester United are scheduled to play Everton on Monday. It remains uncertain whether Ratcliffe will be present. Under interim manager Michael Carrick, United are fourth in the Premier League, one point above Chelsea and 11 points behind leaders Arsenal.

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