The Monaco-based billionaire Jim Ratcliffe has said he is sorry that his “choice of language has offended some people in the UK and Europe”, after a mounting backlash against his comments that the UK was being “colonised” by immigrants.

The Manchester United co-owner has faced a barrage of criticism since citing inaccurate statistics and making the comments, which were labelled hypocritical and reminiscent of “far-right narratives”.

Some Manchester United fans called Ratcliffe’s comments “disgraceful and deeply divisive”, while UK prime minister Keir Starmer said his claim was “offensive and wrong”, and called on the Ineos chief executive to “apologise immediately”. The prime minister added: “Britain is a proud, tolerant and diverse country.”

The petrochemicals executive stopped short of apologising for the sentiments he expressed, saying he was “sorry that my choice of language has offended some people in the UK and Europe and caused concern” but added that “it is important to raise the issue of controlled and well-managed immigration that supports economic growth”.

In a statement issued after growing outrage among politicians, football fans, union leaders and antiracism campaigners, Ratcliffe said: “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.”

In an interview with Sky News on Wednesday, Britain’s seventh-richest man, who moved to tax-free Monaco in 2020, took aim at immigrants and people receiving state support, and cited statistics that were two decades out of date to suggest the UK had been “colonised”.

“You can’t afford ... you can’t have an economy with nine million people on benefits and huge levels of immigrants coming in,” he said. “The UK is being colonised by immigrants, really, isn’t it? I mean, the population of the UK was 58 million in 2020, now it’s 70 million. That’s 12 million people.”

Ratcliffe’s claim is incorrect, according to figures from the UK’s Office for National Statistics.

The office estimated that the population of the UK was 67 million in 2020, and the last time it was anywhere close to 58 million was in 2000.

Other ministers echoed the prime minister’s condemnation, accusing Ratcliffe of hypocrisy. Jake Richards, a justice minister, said it was “offensive, that this man who moved to Monaco to save £4 billion in tax is now lecturing us about immigration”.

Asked by Times Radio why Ratcliffe should apologise, Richards said he was entitled to an opinion but that his claims were inaccurate and offensive. “That language is offensive to so many people. It is completely absurd to think that our country is being ‘colonised’, which implies some kind of invasion or taken over. That’s not right at all,” he said.

The Greater Manchester mayor, Andy Burnham, accused Ratcliffe of making “inaccurate, insulting, inflammatory” comments that were “against everything for which Manchester has traditionally stood”.

He said people of “all races, faiths and none” had pulled together to build the city and its institutions, including Manchester United. “Calling for curbs on levels of immigration is one thing; portraying those who come here as a hostile invading force is quite another,” he said. “It is inaccurate, insulting, inflammatory and should be withdrawn.”

A Downing Street spokesperson said: “Jim Ratcliffe should immediately apologise. His offensive remarks are wrong and play into the hands of those who want to divide our country.”

Ratcliffe also faced condemnation from Manchester United fans, who said the club co-owner was “a total embarrassment” and “out of touch”. In a statement, the supporters’ group the 1958 criticised Ratcliffe’s intervention and his decision to comment “on the issues of our country while living in Monaco to avoid paying tax”.

Ratcliffe bought a minority share in United in 2023 and has been labelled an “incompetent clown” by fans over his handling of football operations.

Fans, who protested against Ratcliffe and the club’s co-owners the Glazers before United’s recent home game against Fulham, said Ratcliffe had priced out loyal fans and imposed “draconian measures” on season ticket holders, and was forcing an unwanted new stadium on them.

The Manchester United Muslim Supporters Club (MUMSC) said Ratcliffe had used “language frequently used in far-right narratives”.

The Manchester United Supporters Trust said: “Comments from the club’s senior leadership should make inclusion easier, not harder.” – Guardian