Wednesday, 11 February 2026
SIR JIM RATCLIFFE: MANCHESTER UNITED CO-OWNER SAYS UK HAS BEEN 'COLONISED BY IMMIGRANTS '
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| © Imago |
In an interview with Sky News's Ed Conway, Sir Jim Ratcliffe says Britain faces profound political, social and economic challenges, among them an unprecedented rise in immigration in recent years
Britain has been "colonised" by immigrants, who are draining resources from the state, Manchester United part-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has told Sky News.
Ratcliffe, the founder of the INEOS chemicals group, warned Britain faces profound political, social and economic challenges, among them an unprecedented rise in immigration in recent years.
"You can't have an economy with nine-million people on benefits and huge levels of immigrants coming in," he said. "I mean, the UK has been colonised. It's costing too much money.
"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."
However, the Office of National Statistics (ONS) estimates the population of the UK was 67 million in mid-2020 and 70 million in mid-2024. The UK population was estimated at 58.9 million in 2000.
Sky Sports News has contacted Manchester United and Kick It Out for comment. The Premier League did not wish to comment when approached by Sky Sports News on Wednesday evening.
Ratcliffe - who is a resident of Monaco - also signalled Prime Minister Keir Starmer might not be the right person for the job, saying: "I don't know whether it's just the apparatus that hasn't allowed Keir to do it 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."
Ratcliffe said he had met recently with Nigel Farage, the leader of right-wing party Reform UK, saying: "I think Nigel is an intelligent man and 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 out."
Referring to his role at United, Ratcliffe added: "I've seen quite a bit of this at the football club. If you do difficult things, which we felt that we had to do at Manchester United... we felt like they were the right things to do. But you do become very unpopular for a while."
Sir Jim Ratcliffe says he intends to make Manchester United the most profitable club on the planet and told The Business Podcast produced by The Times of some of the changes already brought in at the club
Ratcliffe continued: "I've been very unpopular at Manchester United because we've made lots of changes. 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.
"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 was talking on the fringes of the European Industry Summit in Antwerp, at which leaders from many of Europe's biggest economies, including France's Emmanuel Macron and Germany's Friedrich Merz, are meeting with industrialists to discuss the fate of its economy.
The summit comes amid a spate of closures across the European chemicals sector, closures that indicate, in the INEOS founder's view, that the European chemicals sector is facing "unsurvivable conditions".
- Ed Conway, Sky News' economics and data editor
TOTTENHAM FINALLY SACK THIMAS FRANK AS SPURS SLIP EVEN CLOSER TO RELEGATION ZONE
Thomas Frank has been sacked by Tottenham eight months into his tenure, having been unable to change the club's fortunes since he arrived from Brentford in June
Tottenham have sacked manager Thomas Frank after just eight months in charge. Defeat at home to Newcastle proved his final game in charge, with the club slipping perilously close to the Premier League relegation zone.
Frank was appointed at the start of the season to replace Ange Postecoglou, who was sacked despite ending the club's long trophy drought by winning the Europa League. But Frank has struggled to make an impression in his time in the dugout, with fans becoming increasingly critical of the former Brentford boss.
Supporters have consistently called for the manager to lose his job, despite qualifying for the knockout stages of the Champions League.
But their Premier League form has been desperate. Spurs are winless in their last eight league games and have not won on home soil in the Premier League since early December.
That run of form has left Spurs just five points clear of the drop zone, with the sides in the bottom three moving even closer following their 2-1 home defeat to Newcastle. And that has forced Spurs bosses into immediate action.
Contingency plans are now being put into place to appoint a replacement and help stave off the ever growing risk of a disastrous drop to the Championship. Spurs' search for Frank's successor will now begin, with former Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi the outstanding name following his exit from French side Marseille.
Frank's exit comes hours after he expressed confidence over his position despite the rising pressure. Asked if he would be in charge for Spurs' next game against North London rivals Arsenal, he said: “Yeah, I’m convinced I will be. I understand the question and I understand it’s easy to point on me but I also think it’s never only the head coach or the ownership or the directors or the players or the staff.
“It’s everyone. If you do something right, you build something that can last. Of course we are not in a top position now. Everyone knows, directors, ownership, myself, what position we are in, what we need to improve and what we need to do better. That is what we are working very hard on.”
Frank was also asked if he believes he remains the right man to lead the club. He added: “1000 per cent sure. I am also 1000 per cent sure that I never expected us to be in a situation like this with 11 or 12 injuries on the back end of this and what we’ve been facing, but I know when you need to build something and need to get through things, you need to show unbelievable strong resilience.
“I think it is fair to say there are a few before me up here not only for Tottenham but in many other clubs that have lost their head many times and I think you need to have a calm head, carry on, keep fighting and keep doing the right thing, make sure we stick together because we can only do this if we stick together. That is the board, that is the leaders, that is the players, that is the staff, that is me and that is the fans. We’ve got to get through this.”
- Ben Husband & Daniel Orme
AFRICA'S GIANT CLUB FROM TANZANIA YOUNG AFRICANS CELEBRATE 91 YEARS OF CLUB EXISTENCE
Happy 91st anniversary celebrations of our club, Young Africans Sports Club.
Years of honor, achievements, and glorious history. We are proud of the past, we live in the present, and we believe in an even brighter future.#timuyawananchi
#daimambelenyumamwiko #yanga #YoungAfricans
- Young Africans
CADILLAC F1 MAKES HISTORY WITH CASSIDY TOWRISS
Cadillac is the first American-owned team in modern history to enter Formula 1, ending a half-century drought. Behind this milestone moment is Cassidy Towriss, and for her designing an F1 car isn’t just about aesthetics; it’s a strategic catalyst for how a new American team introduces itself to the world.
Towriss is shaping a livery and helping to define what an American presence in Formula 1 looks and feels like in a global arena long dominated by European sensibilities. The FQ spoke with her to talk about pride, pressure, Detroit, design, and what it takes to build something that lasts. Read more: https://www.thefemalequotient.com/cadillac-historic-f1-entry/
KIMI ANTONELLI INVOLVED IN A CAR CRASH BEFORE BAHRAIN TESTS
Kimi Antonelli was involved in a road accident in San Marino just days before the Bahrain Grand Prix weekend. The incident occurred while he was driving his AMG GT 63 PRO Motorsport Collectors Edition when the car hit safety barriers. The crash immediately raised concern given the timing.
According to reports Antonelli was checked by medical staff shortly after the incident. He was confirmed to be in good condition with no serious injuries. That confirmation quickly eased worries across the paddock and among fans.
Despite visible damage to the vehicle the driver himself escaped unharmed. Sources close to the situation stressed that this was a road incident and not related to any on track activity. The focus shifted quickly from speculation to recovery and readiness.
Most importantly Antonelli is expected to take part in the upcoming Bahrain tests as planned. Teams see this as a key phase for preparation and there is no indication that his schedule will change. His physical condition has been cleared with no restrictions.
The moment serves as a reminder of how quickly situations can change in motorsport. While the accident was serious enough to draw attention the outcome could have been far worse. For now Antonelli moves forward focused and ready for Bahrain.
- F1 Legacy
Tuesday, 10 February 2026
IOC BANS HELMET HONOURING UKRAINE’S WAR DEAD AT OLYMPICS
Ukraine's Vladyslav Heraskevych will not be allowed to wear a "helmet of remembrance" in honour of those killed in the war with Russia in the skeleton competition at the Winter Games, the International Olympic Committee said on Tuesday, adding that it would allow the Ukrainian flag bearer to wear a black armband instead.
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| Ukraine's Vladyslav Heraskevych's wore the helmet during a training session in Cortina d'Ampezzo on February 9, 2026. © Franck Fife, AFP |
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) on Tuesday said Ukrainian skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych could wear a black armband at the Winter Olympics instead of a banned helmet that features Ukrainians killed in the war with Russia.
Spokesperson Mark Adams said the helmet contravened IOC guidelines about political symbols but said it would "make an exception to the guidelines to allow him to wear a black armband during competition to make that commemoration".
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky had earlier defended the Olympian's right to wear a helmet featuring athletes killed during the war with Russia, thanking him in a post on X.
"I thank the flag bearer of our national team at the Winter Olympics, Vladyslav Heraskevych, for reminding the world of the price of our struggle," Zelensky said on X.
"This truth cannot be inconvenient, inappropriate or called a 'political demonstration at a sporting event.' It is a reminder to the entire world of what modern Russia is," the president added.
Heraskevych wore the helmet during a training session in Cortina and had intended to use the Games in Italy to help maintain international pressure on Russia.
The 27-year-old said in a social media post on Monday that the International Olympic Committee had banned his custom helmet from training and competition.
Heraskevych, who was Ukraine's flag bearer, said the decision "simply breaks my heart".
Gestures of a political nature on the medal podium have been forbidden since 2021 under article 50 of the Olympic Charter but athletes are permitted to express their views in press conferences and on social media.
Ukrainian Sports Minister Matviy Bidnyi told AFP this month that Russia has killed "more than 650 athletes and coaches", according to the latest data.
In various social media videos, Heraskevych has said the images represent only a fraction of the athletes killed since the full‑scale invasion and include Olympians and Youth Olympic medallists, such as his former teammate, figure skater Dmytro Sharpar.
At the head of a delegation of 46 athletes, Heraskevych marched in Milan last week as his country's flag bearer at the opening ceremony, alongside speed skater Yelyzaveta Sydorko.
He will be competing at his third Winter Games.
- FRANCE 24 with AFP and Reuters
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