Ratcliife, who emigrated to Monaco in 2020 to save an estimated £4 billion in tax, told the broadcaster: "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. It's costing too much money.
Ratcliffe owns the Grangemouth petrochemical plant. (Image: PA)
"The UK has been colonised by immigrants, really, hasn't it? I mean, the population of the UK was 58 million in 2020, now it's 70 million. That's 12 million people."
Figures released by the Office of National Statistics (ONS) estimate that the population of the UK was 67 million in 2020 and 70 million in 2024.
It was estimated at 59 million in 2000.
In response to Ratcliffe’s comments, Scottish Green MSP Patrick Harvie said there was “no such thing as a good billionaire”.
Harvie added: “The rest of the world's super-rich advertise what repulsive human beings they are, Ratcliffe is clearly feeling left out.”
Ratcliffe went on to compare his turbulent tenure at Manchester United to the perils of holding the nation’s highest office.
He told Sky News: "Well, I've been very unpopular at Manchester United because we've made lots of changes. But for the better, in my view. And I think we're beginning to see some evidence in the football club that that's beginning 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, if you want to deal with that, then you're going to have to do some things which are unpopular, and show some courage."
Ratcliffe’s firm Ineos owns the Grangemouth oil refinery alongside PetroChina, which ended crude processing in April 2025.
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In December, the joint venture’s ethylene plant, also located in Grangemouth, received more than £120 million in government funding in a bid to protect 500 jobs.
Ratcliffe said at the time: “Grangemouth is hugely important both economically and strategically,” he said. “We need jobs. We need home production. We need national security which we lose if we can’t run hospitals or make armaments or transport food.
“The government’s support for Grangemouth is a great start but is only a start in re-establishing a competitive manufacturing base for the country.