Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has apologised that his claim Britain has been “colonised” by migrants “offended some people in the UK and Europe”.

Sir Jim, one of Britain’s richest men, has been under pressure from a string of high-profile politicians, including Sir Keir Starmer, to apologise for the claim.

While the Ineos founder said he was sorry that his remarks “caused concern”, Sir Jim insisted that it was important to “raise the issue of controlled and well-managed immigration that supports economic growth”.

Following his statement, the club issued one of its own, insisting it was an “inclusive and welcoming club”.

It added: Our diverse group of players, staff and global community of supporters reflect the history and heritage of Manchester; a city that anyone can call home.”

In his statement released on Thursday, the billionaire said: “I am sorry that my choice of language has offended some people in the UK and Europe and caused concern, but it is important to raise the issue of controlled and well-managed immigration that supports economic growth.

“My comments were made while answering questions about UK policy at the European Industry Summit in Antwerp, where I was discussing the importance of economic growth, jobs, skills and manufacturing in the UK.”

He added: “My intention was to stress that governments must manage migration alongside investment in skills, industry and jobs so that long-term prosperity is shared by everyone. It is critical that we maintain an open debate on the challenges facing the UK.”

The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said it was “right” that Sir Jim apologised for his “offensive and wrong” comments.

Sir Keir was among the first major political figures to have called on the businessman to apologise.

Andy Burnham, the Labour mayor of Greater Manchester said they “go against everything for which Manchester has traditionally stood”.

Mr Burnham, who has backed plans driven by Sir Jim to regenerate Old Trafford and build a new stadium for Manchester United, also said “footballers who have arrived from all over the world to play in Greater Manchester have enhanced the life of our city region”.

He then appeared to hit out at United’s ownership, adding: “If any criticism is needed, it should be directed towards those who have offered little contribution to our life here and have instead spent years siphoning wealth out of one of our proudest institutions.”

Kick It Out – the anti-discrimination football campaign group – told the Press Association Sir Jim’s comments were “disgraceful and deeply divisive” and also criticised his claim that the UK population has swelled by 12 million since 2020, which has proved to be inaccurate.

In the interview with Sky News on Wednesday, Sir Jim – who founded chemical giant Ineos in 1998 – said: “You can’t have an economy with nine million people on benefits and huge levels of immigrants coming in.

“I mean, the UK is being colonised. It’s costing too much money. The UK has been colonised by immigrants.”

Sir Jim bought a minority share in Manchester United in late 2023 and his Ineos group has since taken control of football operations.

The billionaire has presided over a variety of contentious changes since becoming part of the ownership, with ticket pricing and availability causing particular anger among United fans.

A protest against the club’s owners, including for the first time towards Sir Jim as well as the Glazers, took place before Manchester United’s recent home game against Fulham.

The billionaire businessman made headlines for his outspoken comments on benefits and migration

Billionaire businessman Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s controversial comments on benefit claimants and immigration led to widespread criticism.

In an interview with Sky News, Failsworth-born Ratcliffe – whose net worth is estimated at £17bn – mainly discussed issues facing the petrochemicals industry and the impact of EU carbon taxes and energy prices on his business, INEOS.

The businessman, who owns a minority stake in Manchester United, listed some of the problems he said the UK is facing.

“The UK has lots of problems, we can all see that,” he said. “The economy, crime, education, health, it’s all not in a great place at the moment.

“If you really want to deal with major issues of immigration, people opting to take benefits rather than work for a living, you have to do things which are unpopular and show some courage.

“You can’t have an economy with 9 million people on benefits and huge levels of immigrants coming in. The UK is being colonised, it’s costing too much money. Population was 58 mill in 2020, now it’s 70 million.”

His comments have drawn widespread criticism from football fans and politicians alike. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said he should apologise, while Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham called his comments ‘inaccurate, insulting and inflammatory’.

Ratcliffe laters apologised for his ‘choice of language’ and said it was important to ‘raise the issue of controlled and well-managed immigration that supports economic growth’.

United said the club takes pride in being ‘inclusive and welcoming’. Ratcliffe’s claims will be examined by the Football Association to see whether they brought the game into disrepute.

The Reds said in a statement: “Manchester United prides itself on being an inclusive and welcoming club. Our diverse group of players, staff and global community of supporters, reflect the history and heritage of Manchester; a city that anyone can call home.

“Since launching All Red All Equal in 2016, we have embedded equality, diversity and inclusion into everything we do. We remain deeply committed to the principles and spirit of that campaign. They are reflected in our policies but also in our culture and are reinforced by our holding of the Premier League’s Advanced Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Standard.”

We’ve taken a look at the numbers behind some of Ratcliffe’s claims…

‘People opting to take benefits rather than working for a living’

Ratcliffe described ‘people opting to take benefits rather than work for a living’ as a ‘major issue’. Some 24 million people claimed some form of benefit in February 2025, which includes state pension, but 10 million of those were of working age.

The latest available figures from the Department for Work & Pensions (DWP) show there were 8,400,344 people in Britain claiming universal credit (UC) in December 2025, up from around 7.5 million in January that year.

Universal Credit is the main means-tested benefit available in the UK and has replaced the mixture of benefits previously in place, such as income support, jobseeker’s allowance, housing benefit and tax credits.

Of the 8.4 million UC claimants in Britain in December 2025, 2.2 million were in work, DWP figures show. Some 4.2 million were classed as not being required to work, which includes people in full-time education, over the state pension age, with a child under the age of one or who are considered to have no prospect of work for health or disability reasons.

The standard monthly allowance for a single person over 25 is £400.14, but claimants can get extra amounts if they have children or a health condition.

Analysis by the Social Justice Centre has found that people on combined benefits could be earning more from these than they would get from working.

Analysis in August found that an economically inactive claimant on UC for ill health with the average housing benefit and Personal Independence Payment (PIP) would receive an income of around £25,000.

For comparison, the average wage in the UK after tax is around £28,000. A full-time worker on the National Living Wage makes £22,500 after tax.

‘Huge levels of immigrants coming in’

Ratcliffe said ‘huge levels’ of immigrants are ‘coming into the UK’.

Statistics show net migration to the UK in the year ending June 2025 was 204,000. 898,000 people arrived in that year, down by 31 per cent on the previous year, while 693,300 people left (up by 7pc).

The net migration figure of 204,000 represents a decrease of 69pc on the previous year and a drop compared to the year ending March 2023, when net migration peaked at a historical high of 944,000.

The ONS estimates that non-EU immigration stood at 670,000 in that year (down by 37pc on the previous year). Around 41% came to study at UK universities, 13pc to work, and 13pc as the partner or child of a work migrant (13pc), the Migration Observatory said. A further 14pc were seeking asylum.

‘The UK has been colonised’

Ratcliffe said the UK has been colonised, making reference to the increase in the UK population since 2020.

He erroneously claimed the UK population was 58 million in 2020 and is now 70 million in 2026, saying the population has increased by 12 million in just 6 years.

In fact, the UK population has grown by 12 million since mid-1991, when it stood at an estimated 57.4 – so over 35 years, rather than the past six.

The population has increased by almost 2.8 million since 2020, from 66.7 to 69.5 million people in mid-2025.

At the time of the 2021/22 census, around 16pc of people living in the UK were born abroad, a total of around 10.7 million and a percentage increase from 13.4pc in 2011.

That is about the same rate as other similar high-income countries including France (15pc), the US (15pc), the Netherlands (16pc) and Spain (17pc) according to the Migration Observatory.

The top countries of origin of foreign-born migrants in the UK came from India (9pc), Poland (8pc), Pakistan (6pc), Romania (5pc) and Ireland (4pc). The same 2021 data showed that 58pc of migrants in England and Wales had been living in the UK for at least 10 years.

Ratcliffe has been a Monaco resident since 2020, after being one of the UK’s biggest taxpayers for years, according to the BBC. He owns properties in London, Hampshire, the French Alps and Switzerland, as well as two superyachts, the broadcaster reported.

‘It’s costing too much money’

Of the around eight million people claiming universal credit in June 2025, 83.6pc of these were British and Irish nationals, according to the BBC. But more than a million claimants were born overseas, including around 700,000 EU citizens who came to the UK before Brexit.

The Department for Work and Pensions has said most foreign nationals can claim only after five years residency, but there are exceptions such as for victims of modern slavery.

The Telegraph reported last year that households with at least foreign national claimant received over £7.5 billion in UC in 2023. The government spent around £265 billion on pensions and benefits in 2023-2024.

Around 72pc of the foreign-born population are of working age and 41pc have a university degree, according to the Migration Observatory.

In December 2024 nearly 20pc of UK employees were adult migrants and 19pc of that same group held a job in the health and care sector, compared to 14pc of British adults. Around 21pc of NHS staff in England reported a non-British nationality in June 2025.

There have been reports of hare coursing across South Cambridgeshire

Five dogs suspected of being used for hare coursing and a Mitsubishi Shogun have been seized by police. Neighbourhood officers and the Rural Crime Action Team (RCAT) responded yesterday (February 11) to reports of hare coursing taking place across the south of Cambridgeshire.

Officers tracked a black Mitsubishi Shogun believed to be involved and followed it to the A1198. When they attempted to stop the vehicle, it was driven off quickly. A stinger device was deployed, deflating three tyres, but the vehicle continued travelling before coming to a stop in Fox Road, Bourn just before 1.30pm.

Six men fled from the car. Five were detained shortly afterwards and have since been reported for various offences, including making off without paying, failing to stop for police and dangerous driving.

The vehicle and the five dogs found within it have been seized as they were believed to have been used in crime. Sergeant Tom Nuttall from the RCAT said: “Hare coursing is an illegal activity that causes significant suffering to wildlife and harms our rural communities.

“It will not be tolerated here in Cambridgeshire. We will continue to work closely with farmers, landowners and local residents to respond to reports and disrupt those intent on committing these offences.”

A spokesperson from Cambridgeshire Constabulary added: “Anyone who witnesses hare coursing should report it immediately by calling 999. Information about suspicious vehicles, trespassers or any other concerns can be reported on 101 or via www.cambs.police.uk.”

“Alongside these imminent talks, we have accepted the pay recommendation from the independent NHS Pay Review Body as part of this package on pay to deliver an above forecast inflation pay increase for the third consecutive year to 1.4 million NHS staff, including nurses, paramedics, midwives and hospital porters.

WASHINGTON (AP) — A top Democrat is calling for a watchdog investigation after photographs emerged suggesting that the Justice Department has been tracking the search history of lawmakers who are reviewing files from the Jeffrey Epstein investigation.

Rep. Jamie Raskin, the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, asked the Justice Department’s inspector general to investigate what he characterized as “spying” on members of Congress who this week have reviewed less-redacted versions of the Epstein files at a department annex and on department-owned computers.

Photographs taken during Attorney General Pam Bondi’s hearing before the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday showed her holding a binder open to a page that said “Jayapal Pramila Search History” and that listed a series of documents that were apparently reviewed. Pramila Jayapal is a Democratic congresswoman and was among the Judiciary Committee members who pressed Bondi during the hearing about the department’s handling of the Epstein files.

Jayapal called it “totally unacceptable” and said lawmakers will be “demanding a full accounting” of how the department is using the search history.

“Bondi has enough time to spy on Members of Congress, but can’t find it in herself to apologize to the survivors of Epstein’s horrific abuse,” Jayapal said in a post on X.

A bipartisan contingent of lawmakers has traveled in recent days to a Justice Department outpost to review less-redacted records from the files, but some who have seen the documents have complained that too much information about Epstein associates remains withheld from view. The Trump administration Justice Department said last month that it was releasing more than 3 million pages along with more than 2,000 videos and 180,000 images related to Epstein investigations.

Spokespeople for the Justice Department did not immediately return a request seeking comment Thursday, and a representative for the inspector general’s office declined to comment.

In a statement, Raskin said that not only had the Justice Department withheld records from lawmakers “but now Bondi and her team are spying on members of Congress conducting oversight in yet another blatant attempt to intrude into Congress’s oversight processes.”

He added: “DOJ must immediately cease tracking any Members’ searches, open up the Epstein review to senior congressional staff, and publicly release all files—with all the survivors’ information, and only the survivors’ information, properly redacted—as required by federal law.”

He has proved to be unflinchingly his own man, especially with his decision-making around Jude Bellingham, leaving Real Madrid’s superstar out of England’s squad for the friendly with Wales and the World Cup qualifier against Latvia in October despite his desire to be included after injury.

Tuchel is laser-focused on his task, which is solely to win the World Cup. No star system, a fault of predecessors, will be employed.

On the surface this looks, as the saying goes, a “no brainer”.

But what if England mirror the desperate efforts of Capello’s team in 2010?

It would take some doing, but they have not been dealt the easiest hand if they get out of the group games in the United States unscathed.

If all does not go as hoped for, the new contract will weigh heavily on both the FA and Tuchel.

Will this contract development future-proof Tuchel and the FA against World Cup failure? Unlikely.

England have made a habit of progressing serenely through qualifying under a succession of managers. Competitive tournament football remains the acid test – and one Tuchel is yet to pass.

It may, at least, offer the FA some protection from covetous advances being made in Tuchel’s direction from elite clubs, something which cannot be discounted should England’s World Cup be a success.

Tuchel will also be diverting from his own history if he does stay as England head coach until the proposed date of 2028, making his tenure almost four years.

He has not been one for the long haul since spending five years in charge at Mainz 05 between 2009 and 2014.

Tuchel left Borussia Dortmund in May 2017 after two years in charge. He stayed a little longer at Paris St Germain, taking them to the Champions League final, before he was sacked in December 2020.

He won the Champions League with Chelsea in 2021 but was dismissed in September 2022 after only 20 months in charge. Tuchel was then at Bayern Munich for a little more than a year, winning the Bundesliga.

This may yet be a brilliant piece of foresight by the FA to keep one of the best, most single-minded, successful coaches in world football.

The final verdict, however, must wait until after the World Cup.

A former Gogglebox star made a surprise appearance on First Dates and candidly opened up about their split from their partner

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A Gogglebox legend has appeared on dating show First Dates two years after their split from their co-star husband.

Daniel Lustig Webb joined the Channel 4 show in 2019 with his then husband Stephen Webb. The pair quickly became firm favourites with fans thanks to their hilarious one-liners and comical takes on the telly highlights.

However, in 2023, Daniel and Stephen left the programme, leaving fans gutted. At the time, Daniel said it had been an “absolute ride and an absolute pleasure” to be one of the families featured.

Less than a year later though, Daniel and Stephen announced they were to divorce. The pair however continued to share their Brighton home together.

And this week, Daniel was back on screens for an appearance on Channel 4’s hit dating show First Dates. The telly star arrived at the restaurant and shared that he is there to “find the love of my life”.

Daniel added: “I have been single for about 10 months. In the summer I did have a little bit of a dating frenzy. In one month, I think I went on about 17 dates.” When asked what type of person he is looking for Daniel shared: “I’m looking for someone fit, healthy and with hair!”

At the restaurant, Daniel was matched with dad-of-two Simon. While on the date, Simon admitted he recognised Daniel but couldn’t put his finger on where he knew him from.

Daniel told him: “I was on Gogglebox with my ex. We were the guys with poodles, sitting on the couch. I was married up until last year. We were together for 12 years.”

Speaking to the First Dates team, Daniel also spoke candidly about how his split from Stephen affected him. He shared: “When you break up with someone, especially if you’ve been married and you’ve given your heart to it, it’s upsetting. And it was upsetting.

**For the latest showbiz, TV, movie and streaming news, go to the new **Everything Gossip** website**

“I definitely felt like I was grieving for a good six months. It was very hard to get over it. If you’re going to get married, you think you’re going to be together forever. Your heart is stuck on that. So, when you separate, it’s very hard to get out of that funk.”

Meanwhile, back at the table, Daniel told Simon: “It is difficult, because we still live together.” Simon was stunned by the revelation, as Daniel explained: “But we’re not sharing a bed. He’s in the other room, I’m in this room. Eventually we will sell our place and move on.”

At the end of the date, Simon revealed that although he would like to see Daniel again, he was unsure if there was a “romantic connection” between them. He explained: “I didn’t feel any flirting between us.” Daniel agreed: “I felt like that too.”

Gogglebox airs every Friday at 9pm on Channel 4.

‘Satire is clearly not one of our strong points’

A food venue in the city centre has been forced to apologise for a now-deleted social post relating to Donald Trump, which was met with backlash online as people accused them of ‘giving MAGA’..

At the weekend, a post was shared on Mackie Mayor’s Instagram page, which has around 84,000 followers, tying the institution with the American president. The space, in the former Smithfield Market building on Eagle Street in the Northern Quarter, features nine independent kitchens and bars.

The venue, which has been going for nearly ten years now and is run by the same team behind Altrincham Market and the Picturedrome Macclesfield, posted an ‘satirical’ AI-doctored image of an unimpressed Trump on Saturday (February 7) wearing a gold dollar sign chain alongside an orange T-shirt referring to the food hall. The T-shirt featured the words: “The original, the modern and the best, just don’t call us a food hall”.

The post was accompanied by the caption: “Those monkeys, I wear one of their goddam [sic] new T’s and they don’t even serve burger, fries and Coca Cola.” The post was later deleted, although screenshots remain of the image and its caption. Many people online believed Mackie Mayor’s post referred to a recent video posted by Trump last week, which was criticised for featuring the faces of former President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama positioned over images of apes. The venue has today told the M.E.N the post had been a reference to the Northern slang ‘Cheeky Monkeys’ instead.

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The video clip shared by Trump, which was set to the song The Lion Sleeps Tonight, featured claims regarding vote fraud in the 2020 election. Trump later deleted the clip, saying he believed he ‘didn’t make a mistake’ in sharing it and said he had only ever watched the start of the clip before the scene depicting the Obama’s was featured.

The Manchester food venue’s post has also reached the Manchester subreddit on the Reddit platform, where it has been criticised for being ‘offensive’. The initial shared post on Reddit was captioned: “Think they’ve taken it down now after everyone piled on about how dumb it was.”

Commenting on the post, one person said: “Absolutely bizarre post (by them)”. Another wrote: “Oh that Social Media manager was trying to be funny and edgy huh?” One other commented: “I’m not even sure I get what the intended point was.” Another wrote: “Call me a snowflake but this just isn’t funny to me at all. Seems like a business trying to make a joke about current affairs as part of their marketing but missing the part of their brain that says “Actually, maybe we just make jokes about something a bit less risky”.”

Speaking to the M.E.N, one person from Manchester said they had been ‘horrified’ after discovering the post whilst scrolling on Instagram on Saturday. Whilst they couldn’t be sure, they said they believe the post was deleted within ‘about 30 minutes’. There’s been nothing to suggest that the vendors at Mackie Mayor, who operate independently to the owners, had any awareness or involvement of the social post.

“I remember commenting on the post, being like ‘what the ****’, and I got loads of notifications from people before they all just stopped,” the person, who asked not to be named, said. “It looked to me like someone had asked ChatGPT to generate both the image and the caption, but it’s so random. They have just tried to sweep it under the rug and I just don’t think that’s okay.

“They should be called out for it because it’s not acceptable. People should be aware of what they’ve said and be held accountable for that. I don’t think Trump should be used in any way when it comes to marketing regardless, let alone from a big brand. It’s giving MAGA, to be honest.”

On Instagram earlier today (February 12), a number of people were continuing to leave comments on the venue’s posts. On an unrelated post, one person wrote: “There’s still time to apologise rather than pretend the ai trump post didn’t happen.” Another said: “At this point I have no faith that they’ll ever mention it or apologise. They don’t care.”

The owners of Mackie Mayor said its post had been intended to reference the Northern phrase ‘cheeky monkeys’, rather than anything relating to videos shared by Donald Trump. Whilst saying the post had been intended to be ‘deliberately unflattering, satirical and self-deprecating’, they acknowledged they had missed the mark and ‘apologised unreservedly’.

In a statement shared with the M.E.N, a spokesperson for Mackie Mayor said: “On Instagram on Saturday 7 February we briefly posted a photoshopped Donald Trump. Its intent was to be deliberately unflattering, satirical, self-deprecating and poke fun at Trump, criticising us as “losers” for not serving burgers, Coca Cola and fries.

“The reference was intended as a link to the Northern phrase “cheeky monkeys” – something our grans used to call us. On review, we understand this was not how it was interpreted and apologise unreservedly for any offence that this caused. Satire is clearly not one of our strong points. We’ll stick to delivering great food and drinks in a wonderful and inclusive environment that we have been trying to do for the last ten years.”

The service frees up bed spaces in hospital

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Peterborough City Council’s ruling cabinet has agreed to renew a service which entitles local hospital patients to receive vital support following their discharge from hospital care.

At a meeting on Tuesday, February 10, the cabinet approved plans that will enable the Discharge Support Service – which has been in place since 2017 – to continue operating out of Peterborough City Hospital.

Councillor Neil Boyce (Peterborough First), Cabinet Member for Adult Social Care, presented the proposal to Cabinet. “The paper seeks approval from Cabinet to award the contract for delivery of Peterborough City Council’s Discharge Support Service to The British Red Cross Society,” he said.

The proposal to recommission was taken following assessments which concluded the Discharge Support Service was “valuable and impactful.”

Cllr Boyce said: “This service enables those discharged from Peterborough City Hospital to re-settle appropriately in their own home via a variety of tasks for a period of up to six weeks.”

These tasks include:

• Transport home/or to a care setting from hospital;
• Post-discharge support for up to six weeks if needed;
• Telephone support/welfare check-ins;
• Collecting prescriptions;
• Shopping and food parcels;
• Delivering small equipment from hospital to home;
• Mobility aids;
• Triage service into the local voluntary sector and local information for the Peterborough area.

The councillor insisted these provisions helped “increase the independence and well-being of those who use the service”.

The Peterborough First councillor for Glinton and Castor went on to explain the expected length of the new contract, saying it will be “commencing on 1st May 2026 for an initial period of three years with the option to extend for a further two years”.

The current contract for this service, which was awarded in May 2023, ends on 30 April 2026.

The report stated the Discharge Support Service will cost a combined maximum value of £740,209 (£148,041 per year) over the course of five years.

Figures provided by the Department of Health and Social Care estimate likely savings of somewhere between £189,750 and £356,250 each year. Vital bed space needed for newly admitted patients would also be increased as a result.

The Discharge Support Service is available for all adults aged 18 discharged from Peterborough City Hospital.

Footage from the cameras outside the man’s home matched footage found on the stalker’s phone

A Cambridgeshire woman stalked a man with remotely accessible cameras hidden in a hedge outside his home. Nadia Kiernan, 33, has been handed a 12-month restraining order and a 12-month community order for stalking a man in Newmarket.

Kiernan was arrested and charged with stalking after remotely accessible cameras were discovered in a hedge outside the victim’s home. After she was arrested, the cameras, associated material, and her mobile phone were seized by police.

Detectives identified footage on her mobile phone that appeared as from the camera outside the property.

Kiernan, of Clay Street in Ely, Cambridgeshire, appeared before Ipswich Magistrates’ Court for sentencing on Wednesday, February 4. She had originally denied the charge of stalking at an earlier hearing before changing her plea.

Kiernan must also comply with a rehabilitation and community programme. She was ordered to pay costs and charges totalling £414.

PC Georgia Goreham, the investigating officer said: “The impact on the victim upon discovering the cameras should not be understated. The devices had been placed outside his home to spy on him, monitor his activity and track his movements. Seven months of recorded surveillance was identified from Kiernan’s phone and cameras.

“Stalking is a serious and distressing crime which can escalate into dangerous and destructive behaviour. Protecting victims and addressing this type of abuse remains a priority for Suffolk Constabulary and we urge anyone experiencing similar behaviour to come forward and report it.”