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Billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who moved to tax-free Monaco in 2020, has claimed that the UK is being “colonised” by immigrants, while criticising welfare spending and the state of the British economy.
Speaking to Sky News, Britain’s seventh-richest man and part-owner of Manchester United targeted immigration levels and the number of people receiving state support.
“You can’t afford … you can’t have an economy with 9 million people on benefits and huge levels of immigrants coming in,” he said. “The UK is being colonised by immigrants, really, isn’t it?
“I mean, the population of the UK was 58 million in 2020, now it’s 70 million. That’s 12 million people.”
However, figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) contradict his claim. The ONS estimates the UK population was about 67 million in 2020, with the population last near 58 million in 2000.
Ratcliffe’s comments come shortly after the UK government awarded a £120m grant to Ineos, the chemicals company that underpins much of his £17bn fortune, to protect 500 jobs.
The billionaire, a vocal supporter of Brexit, has previously lobbied against green taxes and in favour of fracking.
In the interview at the European Industry Summit in Antwerp, he compared Labour leader Keir Starmer with Reform leader Nigel Farage, whom he described as an “intelligent man”.
Ratcliffe said he knew Starmer and added: “I don’t know whether it’s just the apparatus that hasn’t allowed Keir to do it or, or he’s maybe too nice – I mean, Keir is a nice man. I like him, but it’s a tough job and I think you have to do some difficult things with the UK to get it back on track, because at the moment I don’t think the economy is in a good state.”
He said Farage was “an intelligent man, and I think he’s got good intentions”. “But in a way, you could say exactly the same about Keir, when Keir came in. I think it needs somebody who’s prepared to be unpopular for a period of time to get the big issues sorted out.”
Ratcliffe also likened his restructuring at Manchester United, including job cuts and the appointment and later dismissal of Ruben Amorim, to running a country. He said he had been “unpopular” but that the changes were starting to pay off.
“But you’ve got all the same issues with the country. If you really want to deal with the major issues of immigration, with people opting to take benefits rather than working for a living,” he said, the government was “going to have to do some things which are unpopular, and show some courage”.
Tottenham Hotspur have dismissed head coach Thomas Frank following Tuesday’s home defeat to Newcastle United, ending a tumultuous eight-month tenure that saw the club plummet to within five points of the Premier League relegation zone.
The 52-year-old Danish manager departs after overseeing just seven victories in 26 league matches, yielding a win percentage that ranks as the worst of any Tottenham manager in the Premier League era. His side has failed to register a single league victory in 2026 across eight attempts. Spurs confirmed the decision Wednesday morning in a statement released on social media, hours after fans at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium chanted for Frank’s removal during the 2-1 loss to Newcastle. “The club has taken the decision to make a change in the Men’s Head Coach position and Thomas Frank will leave today,” the statement read. “Thomas was appointed in June 2025, and we have been determined to give him the time and support needed to build for the future together. However, results and performances have led the Board to conclude that a change at this point in the season is necessary.”
The club thanked Frank for his commitment and wished him success in future endeavors, acknowledging that he had given maximum effort during his brief spell in north London.
Frank arrived from Brentford last summer after Tottenham paid approximately 6.7 million pounds in compensation to secure his services. He replaced Ange Postecoglou, who was dismissed despite delivering Europa League success, with the Australian’s final months marred by defensive fragility and supporter discontent.
The Danish coach had built a strong reputation at Brentford, where he guided the west London club from the Championship to established Premier League status while operating with limited resources. His ability to maximize squad potential and implement progressive tactical approaches made him an attractive candidate for Tottenham’s hierarchy. However, the transition to managing one of England’s most demanding clubs proved challenging. Frank signed a three-year contract reportedly worth eight million pounds annually, but will now receive compensation for his early dismissal.
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Tottenham currently sit 16th in the Premier League table with 12 matches remaining in the campaign. The club has won just twice in their last 17 league fixtures, a catastrophic run that has drawn them into an unexpected relegation battle. Tuesday’s defeat represented the seventh home league loss of the season, prompting sections of the Tottenham support to vocally demand change. Fans also sang the name of former manager Mauricio Pochettino, who remains one of the leading candidates to replace Frank.
The result left Spurs just two positions and five points above the bottom three, a precarious situation for a club that began the season with ambitions of European qualification and silverware.
Frank’s overall record across all competitions showed 13 victories in 38 matches, producing a win rate of approximately 35 percent. By contrast, his predecessor Postecoglou maintained a league win rate in the high 40s despite facing similar criticism toward the end of his tenure.
The team exited both domestic cup competitions at early stages, eliminating potential silverware opportunities that might have provided breathing room amid the league struggles. While Tottenham qualified for the Champions League knockout rounds after finishing fourth in the league phase standings, expectations of a deep European run remain low.
