The Manchester United Muslim Supporters’ Club has called for Sir Jim Ratcliffe and the Glazer family to leave the club’s ownership after the co-owner blamed high immigration and high taxes for Britain’s decline.
The group issued a statement of no confidence on Saturday, after Ratcliffe described the UK as “on the slide” in a BBC interview. The billionaire founder of the petrochemical company Ineos referred to Britain’s imperial past as he made his case for a tougher approach to immigration and taxation.
Ratcliffe said: “We had the greatest empire in the world. We were a great people. We won two world wars.”
He also said: “If you tax everybody to death, they're all going to leave. And that's what's happening.” Ratcliffe said he does not currently plan to return to the United Kingdom because he does not believe the problem of economic growth is being properly addressed.
The supporters’ group said Ratcliffe “has again placed immigration and people receiving benefits at the centre of his explanation for Britain's problems, arguing that nobody is tough enough to deal with either”.
It said his comments carried particular weight at a club whose “players, staff, stewards, security teams and supporters come from different countries, cultures, ethnicities, religions and backgrounds”.
The intervention revives a dispute over comments Ratcliffe made in February, when he said the UK had been “colonised by immigrants”. He later apologised for “offending some people” with his language. Manchester United responded at the time by saying the club “prides itself” on being “inclusive”.
The Manchester United Muslim Supporters’ Club said Ratcliffe “subsequently apologised for his choice of language” but “clearly, it has not” resulted in a lesson being learned.
Ratcliffe acquired a 27.7% stake in Manchester United in 2024 and has taken a leading role in reshaping the club’s operations. He has overseen 450 redundancies, an overhaul of senior management and the dismissal of two managers. Ticket prices have also risen, while 685 season tickets were revoked in a crackdown on touting.
The group’s statement also targeted the Glazer family, who remain part of the club’s ownership. A source familiar with the family said they were “horrified” by Ratcliffe’s initial remarks and considered them a sign of “disregard for their ownership”.
Ratcliffe’s tax criticism has also drawn attention to his own arrangements. He has been a tax resident in Monaco since 2020, where income tax is 0%.
The UK’s tax-to-gross domestic product ratio has reached roughly 35.3%, its highest level since World War II. The Office for Budget Responsibility says, however, that the UK tax burden remains below the average across 14 western European economies.
It remains unclear whether Ratcliffe will respond to the supporters’ call or whether the Glazer family will address the demand for their departure. There is also no indication of whether other Manchester United supporter groups will take a similar position.
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