The Manchester United co-owner has been under fire since Wednesday
File photo of Sir Jim Ratcliffe(Image: PA)
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Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe was right to apologise for claiming Britain has been ‘colonised by immigrants’, according to Gorton and Denton by-election candidates.
Sir Jim made his comments in a Sky News interview on Wednesday (February 11), adding: “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. The UK has been colonised by immigrants, really, hasn’t it?”
The interview triggered a massive backlash from pundits and politicians. Prime Minister Keir Starmer described the comments as ‘offensive and wrong’ while Andy Burnham said ‘these comments go against everything for which Manchester has traditionally stood’.
The chemicals and sport mogul apologised on Thursday (February 12). He said: “I am sorry that my choice of language has offended some people in the UK and Europe.”
Candidates standing to be the Gorton and Denton MP said Sir Jim was right to apologise at a hustings hosted by the Manchester Evening News later the same day.
Labour's Angeliki Stogia said: “Yes, I think out of his 11 players, eight of them at least are the people that he was talking about. So absolutely, yes, he was right to say he’s sorry. He should apologise to everyone about his comment.”
Conservative Charlotte Cadden added: “Yes, he was right to apologise. It is freedom of speech. He gave that opinion. Is it criminal, that opinion? No. But yeah, he’s right to apologise. I don’t agree with him.”
Angeliki Stogia (Labour) , Hannah Spencer (Green) , Jackie Pearcey (Liberal Democrats) , Matt Goodwin (Reform UK) and Charlotte Cadden (Conservative and Unionist Party) Gorton and Denton by-election hustings at the Manchester Evening News offices (Image: Sean Hansford | Manchester Evening News)
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Jackie Pearcey, for the Liberal Democrats, said: “Well, it made me think. I mean, those Angles and the Saxons coming over in small boats 1,400 years ago colonising and now you think they own the place.
“Look, we are a nation of immigration. Ever since the ice age, it’s been one set of immigrants after another. And we’ve all integrated and got along as time goes on. I’m proud of that. I think that’s the nation that we should be and that we shall aspire to be.
“So he’s completely wrong and frankly, he should apologise. And also apologise to that poor sod [Manchester United fan Frank Ilett] who’s been waiting for five matches so that he can cut his hair.”
Green candidate Hannah Spencer replied: “Yes, I absolutely think he was right to apologise. I don’t think he should have said it in the first place, and I think anyone who’s in a public position like that needs to make sure that their facts are right, and I’m glad he’s apologised, but I wish that there hadn’t needed to have been such pressure into doing it anyway.”
Reform UK’s Matt Goodwin said: “I wouldn’t have used the word 'colonised', but I also think we live in a free society and we should not be forcing people to apologise for expressing their views, not least after Keir Starmer recently said something similar, which is that we are living, according to the Labour Prime Minister, in an island of strangers. So I’m confused as to where Labour are on this issue. Free speech at all times.”
The hustings were held with two weeks to go until polling day, where voters in Gorton and Denton have 11 candidates to choose from. They are:
Sir Oink A-Lot — The Official Monster Raving Loony Party
Nick Buckley MBE — Advance UK
Charlotte Anne Cadden — Conservative Party
Dan Clarke — Libertarian Party UK
Matt Goodwin — Reform UK
Sebastian Moore — Social Democratic Party
Joseph O’Meachair — The Rejoin EU Party
Jackie Pearcey — Liberal Democrats
Hannah Spencer — Green Party
Angeliki Stogia — Labour Party
Hugo Wils — Communist League