Jim Ratcliffe branded ‘hypocritical’ for migration rant after ‘shifting to Monaco to save lots of £4 billion in tax’
Justice minister Jake Richards criticised the Manchester United part-owner’s comments that the UK has been ‘colonised by immigrants’, and pointed out Sir Jim did not live in the UK
Sir Jim Ratcliffe has been condemned for his comments(Image: (Photo by Chris Brunskill/Fantasista/Getty Images))
Sir Jim Ratcliffe is “hypocritical” to rant about migration to the UK when he moved to Monaco pay less tax, a minister has claimed.
Justice minister Jake Richards criticised the manchester -united-fc> Manchester United part-owner’s comments that the UK has been “colonised by immigrants”. In an inflammatory statement on Wednesday, Sir Jim, who lives in tax-free Monaco, hit out at “huge levels of immigrants coming in” and said too many people are on benefits in the UK. The billionaire is ranked the seventh wealthiest person in Britain in the Sunday Times’s rich list, with a £17billion fortune.
Responding, Mr Richards branded the language “offensive”, and told Times Radio Sir Jim didn’t even live in the UK.
READ MORE: Keir Starmer slams Jim Ratcliffe for ‘offensive’ rant about ‘colonised’ UKREAD MORE: Piers Morgan brands Sir Jim Ratcliffe ‘a hypocrite’ as he wades in on immigration rant
He said: “Well, he certainly doesn’t have to apologise for having an opinion. But personally, and I think, the Prime Minister thinks, that that language is offensive to so many people. It is completely absurd to think that our country is being ‘colonised’, which implies some kind of invasion or taken over. That’s not right at all.”
Mr Richards said it was “absolutely legitimate” to raise concerns about levels of immigration and claimed worries about integration were a “really important” part of the migration debate.
The minister added: “But let’s just be very clear that Jim Ratcliffe’s comments yesterday both were offensive in terms of the language used, he got his facts wrong, and there’s also something that I find quite offensive, that this man who moved to Monaco to save £4 billion in tax is now lecturing us about immigration. There’s something that I find slightly hypocritical about that.”
Sir Jim, who is the founder of the INEOS chemicals group, had told Sky News: “You can’t have an economy with nine million people on benefits and huge levels of immigrants coming in.
“I mean, the UK has been colonised. It’s costing too much money. 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.”
The population of the UK at mid-year 2020 was estimated to be 67.1 million and 69.3 million people in 2024. It was last at 58 million in 2000, more than 25 years ago.
On Wednesday night the PM had slapped down the comments, calling them “offensive” and demanding an apology. In a post on social media, Keir Starmer said: “Offensive and wrong. Britain is a proud, tolerant and diverse country. Jim Ratcliffe should apologise.”
Earlier football’s anti-discrimination body Kick It Out described Sir Jim’s comments as “disgraceful” while declaring that “this type of language and leadership has no place in English football.” They said: “Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s comments are disgraceful and deeply divisive at a time when football does so much to bring communities together.
“In addition to the inaccurate figures mentioned, it’s worth reminding him that Manchester United has a diverse fan base and plays in a city whose cultural history has been enriched by immigrants. This type of language and leadership has no place in English football, and we believe most fans will feel the same.”
