The “inflammatory” charge by Manchester United co-owner Jim Ratcliffe that Britain has “been colonised by immigrants” has been sharply condemned by the biggest Irish immigrant group in Britain.
Ratcliffe’s remarks “are not just historically illiterate, it also demeans the rich cultural and economic legacy of those who have contributed to modern Britain”, the Irish in Britain organisation said.
In a Sky News interview, billionaire Ratcliffe argued that immigration and welfare costs were harming the United Kingdom’s economy.
“You can’t have an economy with nine million people on benefits and huge levels of immigrants coming in. The UK has been colonised. It’s costing too much money,” said the Monaco-based businessman, who also said the political and economic challenges facing Britain were linked to immigration levels.
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Following a furore over his remarks, Ratcliffe said he was sorry for his “choice of language” and for causing offence, but he insisted there was a need for debate about managed immigration and economic growth.
[ Jim Ratcliffe sorry he ‘offended’ some after saying UK ‘colonised by immigrants’ ]
Representing hundreds of Irish groups and societies throughout Britain, the Irish in Britain organisation said the UK’s “economy, and Manchester’s in particular, has been shaped through migrant labour and exchange”.
“The Manchester Ship Canal, opened in 1894 and built largely by Irish navvies, connected the city to the Irish Sea and to a maritime trade rooted in Britain’s colonial past,” it said.
The history of immigration into Britain was “complex, yet it affirms a consistent truth: prosperity has long relied on migration. That contribution extends into Manchester’s rich cultural and sporting history”.
“Several of the ‘Busby Babes’ of the 1950s were born on the island of Ireland, including Dubliner Liam Whelan, who died in the Munich air disaster,” it said.
“Their story forms part of a wider postwar legacy in which Irish and Commonwealth migrants helped rebuild cities, transport networks and the NHS.”
The group acknowledged public concern about pressure on services, housing and opportunity was real, but “these challenges arise from policy choices, investment priorities and structural inequality, not from people who come to work, rebuild and contribute”.
“Scapegoating migrant communities for systemic failures is not new of course. We have seen and heard it before. Words matter because they are consequential, they stoke extremism, division and fear,” it said.
“Responsible leadership should be grounded in history and evidence. If Mr Ratcliffe stepped outside of the boardroom and took a walk through the streets of Manchester, Liverpool or Leeds, he would see migrant organisations strengthening community connection every day.”
