A Manchester United supporters group condemned comments made by part-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe after the British billionaire said the UK has been “colonised” by immigrants.
The Manchester United Muslim Supporters Club (MUMSC) released a statement on Wednesday following an interview Ratcliffe gave to Sky News in which the 73-year-old complained at the impact of “huge levels of immigrants” entering the country.
“You can’t have an economy with nine million people on benefits and huge levels of immigrants coming in,” said Ratcliffe, who was speaking at the European Industry Summit in Antwerp.
“I mean, the UK has been colonised. It’s costing too much money. The UK has been colonised by immigrants, really, hasn’t it?”
In response, MUMSC, which is officially recognised by the club, said the words used by Ratcliffe “echo language frequently used in far-right narratives” and branded the remarks “deeply concerning.”
The statement read: “Manchester United is a global club built on diversity — on players, staff and supporters from every background, faith and ethnicity.
“The strength of our club, and of our country, lies in that diversity.
“We stand with all communities who reject racism, anti-Semintism, Islamophobia and hatred in all its forms and we call for leadership that unites rather than divides.”
