Andy Burnham Joins Condemnation Of Jim Ratcliffe's 'Insulting' Migrants Claim
Andy Burnham has joined the growing condemnation Manchester United co-owner Jim Ratcliffe’s shocking claim that the UK is “being colonised” by immigrants.
The mayor of Greater Manchester said the billionaire’s “inaccurate, insulting, inflammatory” remarks should be withdrawn.
It comes after prime minister Keir Starmer also criticised Ratcliffe for his “offensive and wrong” comments, and urged him to apologise.
The row began after Ratcliffe, the founder and chairman of petrochemical giant Ineos, told Sky News on Wednesday that Britain’s population had increased by 12 million since 2020. The real figure is closer to three million.
He 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.”
Burnham slammed the remarks in a social media statement, saying the comments “go against everything for which Manchester has traditionally stood: a place where people of all races, faiths and none have pulled together over centuries to build our city and our institutions, including Manchester United FC”.
He added: “Calling for curbs on levels of immigration is one thing; portraying those who come here as a hostile invading force is quite another.”
Burnham pointed out that footballers have arrived from around the world to play in the Greater Manchester, enhancing the region.
“We appreciate their contribution as a city-region famous for the warmth of our welcome,” he said. “If any criticism is needed, it should be directed towards those who have offered little contribution to our life here and have instead spent years siphoning wealth out of one of our proudest institutions.”
— Andy Burnham (@AndyBurnhamGM) February 12, 2026
Labour minister Jake Richards also pointed out this morning that the billionaire “has moved to Monaco to save £4-billion worth of tax”, suggesting he should therefore he ignored.
A Downing Street spokesperson also said last night that Ratcliffe’s words “play into the hands of those who want to divide our country”.
The Green Party candidate for the Gorton and Denton by-election in Manchester, Hannah Spencer, said: “I challenge Jim Ratcliffe to join me on Stockport Road, meet the hard-working business people, struggling residents, and look them in the eye and listen to them.
“I have and I know that they are sickened by his views and demand his apology.
“This is Britain’s seventh-richest man, who moved to tax-free Monaco in 2020 and owns Manchester United punching down on the people in this constituency. What disgusting and racist comments. ”
Reform leader Nigel Farage, however, appeared to back Ratcliffe.
He wrote on X: “Britain has undergone unprecedented mass immigration that has changed the character of many areas in our country. Labour may try to ignore that but Reform won’t.”