Overview
- Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who gave a BBC interview on Saturday, said the UK is "on the slide" and blamed immigration, welfare and high taxes for the country’s decline.
- Manchester United’s Muslim Supporters’ Club issued a 750‑word no‑confidence statement calling for Ratcliffe and the Glazer family to leave the club because his remarks repeat earlier divisive comments.
- Government ministers publicly rebuked Ratcliffe as a "tax exile" after the interview, with Bridget Phillipson saying he had lost the moral high ground by criticising Britain while living in Monaco.
- Ratcliffe warned the UK could face gas supply problems in a sharp cold spell and criticised decisions to limit North Sea development, noting INEOS’s role in UK energy infrastructure such as the Forties pipeline.
- Ratcliffe is a 27.7% Manchester United minority owner who led a 2024 restructuring that included large job cuts, and the new controversy has intensified fan protests, poor on‑field form and calls for renewed ownership scrutiny.