« Le Royaume-Uni a été colonisé par les immigrés » : la sortie polémique de Jim Ratcliffe, le propriétaire de Manchester United
Also the owner of OGC Nice, the Red Devils boss compared the situation in the United Kingdom to that of his club, deeming it necessary to "take unpopular measures" to get the country "back on track".
His remarks are likely to provoke a reaction. Usually discreet in the media, Jim Ratcliffe, founder of the petrochemical group Ineos and co-owner of Manchester United, ventured into the political arena this Wednesday, February 11. During an interview with Sky News, the 73-year-old billionaire was asked about the state of British society. And his answer was very specific.
“You can’t have an economy with nine million people dependent on welfare and a massive influx of immigrants,” said the businessman, who also owns OGC Nice. “The UK was colonized by immigrants, wasn’t it? I mean, the UK population was 58 million in 2020, now it’s 70 million. That’s 12 million people,” he claimed, citing somewhat inaccurate figures, as the Office for National Statistics (ONS) estimates the population at 67 million in mid-2020 and 70 million by mid-2024.
Jim Ratcliffe even took the opportunity to criticize British Prime Minister Keir Starmer's record. "Keir is a likeable man, I appreciate him, but it's a difficult job and I think tough measures need to be taken to get the UK back on track, because currently the economy isn't doing well."
"Taking unpopular measures and showing courage"
While he hasn't explicitly endorsed him, Ratcliffe, who also owns the Ineos Grenadiers cycling team, revealed that he met with Nigel Farage, a politician and prominent figure in the British sovereignist right. "I think Nigel is an intelligent man and has good intentions," he said of the Reform Party leader.
“I think you need someone who is prepared to be unpopular for a while to solve the big problems,” the Manchester United boss analyzed, not hesitating to compare the situation in his country to his management of the Red Devils. “I was very unpopular at Manchester United because we made a lot of changes. But for the better, in my opinion. And I think we are starting to see encouraging signs within the club.”
“But you have the same problems with the country,” he continued. “If you really want to tackle the major problems of immigration, including the fact that some people choose to collect benefits rather than work to earn a living, if you want to solve this problem, then you are going to have to take unpopular measures and show courage.”
Heavily criticized since taking over Manchester United in late 2023 through the Ineos group, Jim Ratcliffe's record at the helm of his beloved club has been far from stellar so far. Between sporting crises, austerity policies, and internal restructuring, his management has equally alienated fans and former Manchester United legends, such as Eric Cantona, who accused the new owners of wanting to "destroy everything" at MU.
Commentaires (14)
Participer à la Discussion
Règles de la communauté :
💡 Astuce : Utilisez des emojis depuis votre téléphone ou le module emoji ci-dessous. Cliquez sur GIF pour ajouter un GIF animé. Collez un lien X/Twitter, TikTok ou Instagram pour l'afficher automatiquement.