Sir Jim Ratcliffe has faced major backlash after controversial remarks he made about immigration during an appearance at the European Industry Summit in Antwerp.
The billionaire INEOS chairman, while discussing the UK economy, welfare and migration policy, claimed Britain was struggling with high levels of immigration and benefit dependency. His most controversial remark came when he suggested the UK was being “colonised” by immigrants a comment that quickly sparked political outrage across the country.
“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, really, hasn’t it?”
The comments drew criticism from senior politicians, including Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, who described the language as offensive and wrong. Critics argued that the terminology used was inflammatory and inappropriate, particularly given Ratcliffe’s profile as one of Britain’s most prominent business leaders.
Following the backlash, Ratcliffe released a formal statement clarifying his position and apologising for the language he used.
“I am sorry that my choice of language has offended some people in the UK and Europe and caused concern.
“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.
“My intention was to stress that governments must manage migration alongside investment in skills, industry and jobs so that long-term prosperity is shared by everyone.
“It is critical that we maintain an open debate on the challenges facing the UK.” He ended
Despite the apology the criticism of Sir Jim Ratcliffe still continues . According to reports from Martyn Ziegler the English FA will look into Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s ‘colonised by immigrants’ remarks.