"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."
"It echoes language frequently used in far-right narratives that frame migrants as invaders and demographic threats,"
"play into the hands of those who want to divide our country"
Sir Jim Ratcliffe described rising population and immigration as a drain on the economy, saying the UK has been 'colonised' and citing large increases in population. He linked benefit numbers and immigration to economic instability. Office for National Statistics data show population growth from mid-2020 to mid-2025 that is smaller than his 12 million figure. Senior politicians and organisations condemned the remarks, with calls for an apology and warnings the language fuels divisive, far-right narratives. Manchester United Muslim Supporters Club and anti-racism groups criticised the comments and urged football clubs to combat, not amplify, racist narratives.
Read at www.bbc.com
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