{"id":89970,"date":"2026-02-12T08:53:07","date_gmt":"2026-02-12T08:53:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.taxresearch.org.uk\/Blog\/?p=89970"},"modified":"2026-02-12T08:53:07","modified_gmt":"2026-02-12T08:53:07","slug":"the-migrant-speaks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.taxresearch.org.uk\/Blog\/2026\/02\/12\/the-migrant-speaks\/","title":{"rendered":"The migrant speaks"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sir Jim Ratcliffe, the chemical tycoon, billionaire, Manchester United co-owner and one of the wealthiest people supposedly in Britain, is under fire after saying Britain has been \u2018colonised\u2019 by immigrants.<\/p>\n

As he put it:<\/a><\/p>\n

You can\u2019t afford \u2026 you can\u2019t have an economy with 9 million people on benefits and huge levels of immigrants coming in. The UK is being colonised by immigrants, really, isn\u2019t it?<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Three things.<\/p>\n

First, Ratcliffe left Britain some time ago. He lives as a tax exile and migrant in Monaco. The irony of that should not be ignored. Apparently, the rich can be mobile. No one else may be.<\/p>\n

Second, if there are nine million people in the UK on benefits, it is because of the massive wealth inequality in the UK. Ratcliffe has created this problem. He could call for higher taxation to help solve it.<\/p>\n

Third, I wonder how many of those Ratcliffe is abusing support Manchester United, and how many around the world will be alienated from doing so as a result of his racist comment? This feels like a Gerald Ratner moment<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Ratcliffe reveals his staggering level of indifference, naivete or stupidity with these comments.<\/p>\n

For once, Starmer made the right reaction. Farage could not help but jump in with his own vile comment, based on the politics of hate, division and racism, which he has made his only speciality:<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

We need a politics for people, based on a politics of care, to fund the future.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Sir Jim Ratcliffe, the chemical tycoon, billionaire, Manchester United co-owner and one of the wealthiest people supposedly in Britain, is under fire after saying Britain
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