Ratcliffe 'hypocritical' over migration remarks

The Monaco-based billionaire Jim Ratcliffe faced condemnation yesterday - and implicit criticism from the football club he co-owns - after his claims that Britain was being "colonised" by immigrants.

- Alexandra Topping Nick Ames Brussels

The Manchester United co-owner issued a heavily qualified apology after he had cited inaccurate immigration statistics in comments that were criticised as hypocritical and reminiscent of "far-right narratives".

Following a day of censure from the prime minister, football fans, union leaders and anti-racism campaigners, Ratcliffe said he was sorry his "choice of language has offended some people in the UK and Europe".

Hours after the apology, Manchester United took the extraordinary step of publicly asserting they were "inclusive and welcoming". In a statement that did not name Ratcliffe but clearly referred to his claims that Britain was being “colonised” by immigrants, the club affirmed their commitment to “equality, diversity and inclusion”, adding: “Our diverse group of players, staff and global community of supporters reflect the history and heritage of Manchester; a city that anyone can call home.”

Ratcliffe could yet be on the receiving end of disciplinary action from the Football Association, which is looking into whether his words have brought the game into disrepute. He prompted outrage on Wednesday when, during an interview with Sky News, he took aim at immigrants and people receiving state support, and cited statistics that were two decades out of date to suggest the UK had been “colonised”.