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Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has said the UK is “on the slide” and accused politicians of lacking the courage to tackle immigration and welfare spending.
Sir Jim, the billionaire founder of petrochemicals company Ineos, owns a large stake in the Old Trafford club and oversees its football operations.
Speaking during an interview with BBC News, Sir Jim said it was “quite difficult to see” how the country’s decline could be stopped.
The 73-year-old businessman said: “Unfortunately, at the moment, I think the UK is on the slide.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe (Image: Martin Rickett/PA Wire)
“It’s quite difficult to see how we arrest it.
“We need politicians who are tough enough to deal with some very difficult problems, and we know what the problems are.
“And we need politicians who will make decisions which are good for the country, not good for themselves and their party.
"We haven’t had one of those for a long time.”
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Sir Jim singled out immigration and benefits as two areas where he believed tougher action was required.
He said: “Nobody’s tough enough to deal with the immigration problem.
“Nobody’s tough enough to deal with the benefits problem. But somebody needs to do it.
“Otherwise, you know, it ends in a bad place, doesn’t it?”
The businessman, whose wealth has been estimated at around £15bn, became a minority shareholder in Manchester United in 2024 through his company Ineos.
During the wider interview, Sir Jim also criticised UK tax policy and the Government’s approach towards oil and gas production.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe (Image: Martin Rickett)
He said the country had developed a “green eye towards wealth” and argued that wealthy people were being encouraged to relocate overseas.
Sir Jim, who has been a tax resident in Monaco since 2020, said conditions in Britain would need to improve before he considered returning.
He also warned that Britain could face gas shortages during a severe cold spell and described failing to invest further in North Sea oil and gas as “insanity”.
A government spokesperson told the BBC that ministers were working to deliver economic growth and said business investment had increased during the previous two years.
The spokesperson also said the Government remained confident about Britain’s energy security because the country had a diverse mix of supplies.
(Image: Peter Byrne/PA Wire)
Sir Jim has previously attracted criticism over comments about immigration.
Earlier this year, he said the UK had been “colonised by immigrants”, before later apologising for causing offence.
His latest comments have also faced opposition from Manchester United Muslim Supporters’ Club, which called for him and the Glazer family to leave the club.
The group said Manchester United’s players, employees, and supporters came from a wide range of countries, cultures, religions and backgrounds, and described his comments as “deeply disappointing and completely unacceptable”.