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Sir Keir Starmer has said it was ‘offensive and wrong’ for Sir Jim Ratcliffe to claim that the UK ‘has been colonised by immigrants’.

The Prime Minister has told the Manchester United owner to apologise ‘immediately’, declaring: ‘Britain is a proud, tolerant and diverse country’.

As well as criticising UK immigration levels, Sir Jim also questioned whether Sir Keir was the right man to lead the country in an interview yesterday.

He said that the PM ‘may be too nice’ for the job and that ‘difficult’ decisions were needed by those in power to rescue the economy, which grew by just 0.1% in the final quarter of last year, official figures revealed today.

Responding to his immigration comments in a post on X, the Prime Minister wrote: ‘Offensive and wrong. Jim Ratcliffe should apologise.’

Sir Jim is also facing a backlash from Manchester United fans. Protest group The ’58 called him ‘a total embarrassment’. The Manchester United Supporters Trust said he was ‘marginalising’ the club’s fanbase.

But there has been some support for his comments, with Nigel Farage tweeting: ‘Britain has undergone unprecedented mass immigration that has changed the character of many areas in our country. Labour may try to ignore that but Reform won’t’.

Yarmouth MP Rupert Lowe said: ‘Ratcliffe is right. And I respect him for having the balls to say it’, adding: ‘It [the UK] has been colonised by immigrants. That’s just a fact. No point pussyfooting around it’.

But Downing Street said Sir Jim’s remarks ‘play into the hands of those who want to divide our country’ and called on him to ‘immediately’ apologise.

A No 10 spokesman said: ‘Jim Ratcliffe should immediately apologise.

‘His offensive remarks are wrong and play into the hands of those who want to divide our country.’

In an interview with Sky News, the Ineos owner said: ‘You can’t have an economy with nine million people on benefits and huge levels of immigrants coming in. 

‘I mean, the UK has been colonised by immigrants really, hasn’t it? It’s costing too much money. The population of the UK was 58 million in 2020, now it’s 70 million. That’s 12 million people.’ 

The 73-year-old businessman also questioned whether Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is the right man to lead the country forward in a bombshell new interview, arguing ‘he may be too nice’. 

He 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.’ 

The population of the UK was estimated to have been 70 million in mid-2024, according to the Office for National Statistics, three million higher than that recorded during 2020. 

A massive 65,922 illegal migrants have reached the United Kingdom since Sir Keir’s time on Downing Street began in July 2024 – that’s more than under any other PM in history.  

Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, who has been working closely with United on its stadium project, says Ratcliffe’s words ‘go against everything for which Manchester has traditionally stood’. 

‘Footballers who have arrived from all over the world to play in Greater Manchester have enhanced the life of our city region as have the many people working in Greater Manchester’s NHS and other essential services and industries’.

And Sir Keir’s Justice minister Jake Richards claimed this morning that the Ineos billionaire is ‘hypocritical’ to criticise the Government on migration, because he has ‘moved to Monaco to save £4billion in tax’.

‘One might question whether he is the patriot we need to comment on this issue’, he said.

Kick It Out – the anti-discrimination football campaign group – criticised Sir Jim’s comments, including the claim that the UK population has swelled by 12 million since 2020.

In a statement to the Press Association, Kick It Out said: ‘Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s comments are disgraceful and deeply divisive at a time when football does so much to bring communities together.

‘In addition to the inaccurate figures mentioned, it’s worth reminding him that Manchester United has a diverse fan base and plays in a city whose cultural history has been enriched by immigrants.

‘This type of language and leadership has no place in English football, and we believe most fans will feel the same.’

Sir Keir Starmer has come under mounting pressure and this week endured the toughest stint of his 18 months in office amid the scandal which saw Lord Peter Mandelson resign from government. 

He faced calls to resign from opposition leaders and, in a damning turn of events, Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar also pleaded with him to walk away on Monday. 

But at a meeting with his Parliamentary Labour Party later that evening, the Prime Minister affirmed that he has no intentions to give up. 

Earlier on Monday he had received backing from both Angela Rayner and Rachel Reeves which strengthened his position. Mayor of Manchester Andy Burnham has also since shared his support for the under-pressure PM. 

In his new interview, Sir Jim revealed that he has met with Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, who he describes as ‘an intelligent man’.  

He added: ‘I think he’s got good intentions. But, in a way, you could say exactly the same about Keir Starmer. 

‘I think it needs somebody who’s prepared to be unpopular for a period of time to get the big issues sorted.’ 

One of Britain’s richest men, Ratcliffe has been widely unpopular with Man United fans since purchasing his stake in the club on December 24, 2023. His group also owns Ligue 1 side Nice after completing a takeover deal in 2019.

He is estimated to be worth around £17billion, according to the Sunday Times Rich List in 2025, making him the seventh wealthiest person in the country. 

However, in the last year alone, the Lancashire-born business owner has seen his riches decline by some £6billion, likely due to the expenses of running United.

‘I’ve been very unpopular at Manchester United because we’ve made lots of changes,’ he admitted. ‘But, for the better, in my view. I think we’re beginning to see some evidence in the football club that that’s beginning to pay off.’ 

The 219 migrants who reached British shores on Sunday, February 8, saw the total who have entered Britain during Sir Keir’s leadership surpass that under Boris Johnson.

One of Sir Keir’s first acts in office after the 2024 general election was scrapping the previous government’s Rwanda asylum deal.

The programme had been designed to deter crossings – and save lives – by sending migrants to the east African country to claim asylum there rather than here.

Labour’s flagship policy is a ‘one in, one out’ deal with France which allows a small number of migrants to be sent back across the Channel. 

The Lord Mandelson scandal brought Sir Keir’s tenure in government to the brink of disaster and preceded the resignations of a number of his most senior figures. 

After the disgraced Mandelson walked away to ‘avoid further embarrassment’, the PM’s chief of staff Morgan McSweeney handed in his resignation on Sunday. 

McSweeney had been influential in the appointment of Mandelson as the UK’s ambassador to the US – a decision he admitted was ‘wrong’ in a farewell statement. 

Later, Sir Keir’s communications director Tim Allen quit on Monday to ‘let a new team’ take over in Number Ten, he said. 

Despite the Labour leader seemingly strengthening his position following a meeting with his party later that day, fresh doubts have since been cast over his judgment. 

Sir Keir’s woes deepened amid claims he went ahead with a peerage for Lord Matthew Doyle despite knowing about his ties to paedophile councillor Sean Morton.  

Doyle has apologised for campaigning for Morton in 2017 – after the latter had been charged over indecent images of children – saying he believed his friend’s assertions of innocence.

Party chair Anna Turley is calling for Lord Doyle to be kicked out of the Upper House, insisting he did not tell the truth before being elevated by Sir Keir.

No 10 is adamant Lord Doyle’s actions were not known when the peerage was announced on December 10 last year.

However, there are mounting questions about the timeline, with the Sunday Times having claimed that No 10 looked into the issues beforehand.

The situation has been likened to that of Mandelson, with the PM’s allies blaming the vetting system for letting him down. 

Asked about the situation during a tour of broadcast studios this morning, education minister Georgia Gould said: ‘I think the decision, the announcement was made on December 10. I think the story was later in the month.

‘But I think the Prime Minister has looked at this afresh, given the commitment that he has made to ensure the highest standards in public life.’

In an earlier statement, Lord Doyle apologised ‘unreservedly’ for supporting Moray councillor Morton before the case against him had concluded.  

He said he also had ‘extremely limited’ contact with Morton after his conviction.  

The Scottish National Party had objected to Lord Doyle’s peerage and Tory leader Kemi Badenoch called on Sir Keir to publish ‘vetting advice and due diligence’ reports provided before his appointment to the Lords.

Labour had suspended Morton after he appeared in court in connection with indecent child images in late 2016.

Lord Doyle campaigned for Morton when he ran as an Independent in May 2017.

Morton admitted having indecent images of children in November 2017.

Keir Starmer was clinging to power this evening after the Cabinet gave him a late stay of execution.

The Prime Minister was rocked when the Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar dramatically called on him to resign for the good of the country in the wake of the Mandelson scandal.

Mr Sarwar, once an ally of Sir Keir, said there had been ‘too many mistakes’ in Downing Street.

‘I have to be honest about failure wherever I see it,’ he said. ‘The distraction has to end, the leadership has to change.’

Mr Sarwar told the PM of his move in advance, triggering panic in No 10 and sparking a major rescue operation.

One Labour source said ministers were told to voice their support for the PM by the end of the day or face the sack.

Sir Keir was already reeling from the departure of his chief of staff Morgan McSweeney on Sunday, who was followed out of the door by his communications director Tim Allan this morning.

And Cabinet Secretary Sir Chris Wormald was this evening on the brink of joining the Downing Street exodus – just a year after Sir Keir appointed him.

Cabinet ministers had refused to publicly back the embattled Prime Minister for more than 24 hours after Mr McSweeney’s dramatic departure. Private discussions were held about the possibility of replacing him with an interim leader such as Defence Secretary John Healey.

But, with leadership rivals not ready to make their move and financial markets wobbling over the prospect of a chaotic contest, they finally bowed to No 10’s demands to issue public statements of support.

In a belated flurry of posts on social media, which began as Mr Sarwar got to his feet, every member of the Cabinet gave the Prime Minister their broad support.

And in a defiant address to Labour MPs later, Sir Keir vowed to battle on, saying: ‘Every fight I’ve ever been in, I have won.’

On another dramatic day in Westminster:

• Allies of Health Secretary Wes Streeting claimed No 10 had falsely accused him of being in league with Mr Sarwar at the very moment he was recording a TV interview backing the PM
• Mr Streeting published details of his email exchanges with Peter Mandelson in a bid to draw a line under claims by leadership rivals that his ambitions will be derailed by their past friendship
• Messages revealed that Mr Streeting moaned privately about Labour’s performance, including complaining the Government has ‘no growth strategy at all’
• Details emerged of a ‘Rayner for Leader’ website apparently launched by supporters of the former deputy PM and accidentally set live, briefly, last month
• A Find Out Now poll of 2,000 voters found the public want Sir Keir to resign by a margin of 50:22.

Sir Keir started the day isolated after agreeing the departure of Mr McSweeney, who is credited for masterminding Labour’s landslide election victory in 2024.

No 10 was initially unable to persuade ministers to take to the airwaves to defend the PM amid public revulsion at his decision to appoint Lord Mandelson as ambassador to the US despite knowing he had remained friends with paedophile financier Jeffrey Epstein following his conviction for child sex offences.

But Mr Sarwar’s intervention forced senior Labour figures to make a snap decision to either back the PM or move against him.

None of Sir Keir’s likely successors, including Angela Rayner and Mr Streeting, are confident of winning an immediate battle – and Labour sources said there was strong opposition within the party to triggering a contest before vital local elections in May.

This evening, Ms Rayner denied any links to the website, with her team dismissing it as a ‘fake’ that had neither been commissioned by her, nor with her knowledge, while one ally described it as a ‘false flag’ operation. Ms Rayner and Mr Streeting’s decision to back down gives Sir Keir some breathing space to try to regain control of the Government which has been hit with a wave of anger over the Mandelson scandal.

However, Labour MPs warned that Sir Keir could still be forced out if the party loses a looming by-election in Manchester this month or suffers a wipeout in May, when Scottish and Welsh parliamentary elections will be held alongside a major round of council elections in England.

Veteran Labour MP Graham Stringer said the PM ‘cannot survive this amount of chaos’, adding: ‘I think we have to wait and see the [election] results… that will give Labour MPs time to sort through what is the right process.’

Labour MP Peter Lamb urged the PM to name his departure date now. Writing in The House magazine, he said: ‘He can wait until May and force the country to endure the chaos of removing a sitting PM… or he can act now.’

Ministers also warned the PM that he would have to make radical changes to survive. Technology Secretary Liz Kendall backed him to stay to ‘steady the ship’, but added: ‘We also need to change course.’

Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson acknowledged that the Government had ‘made mistakes’ but insisted Sir Keir would still be Prime Minister by the summer.

In his address to the Labour Party this evening, the PM insisted he wanted to stay to take on Nigel Farage at the next election.

‘Having fought so hard for the chance to change our country, I’m not prepared to walk away from my mandate and my responsibility, or to plunge us into chaos, as others have done,’ he said.

Sir Keir went on to describe the battle with Reform UK as the ‘fight of our lives, the fight of our times’.

He added: ‘I’ll tell you this, as long as I have breath in my body, I’ll be in that fight, on behalf of the country that I love and I believe in, against those that want to tear it up.’