Connect with us

News

PM tells Sir Jim Ratcliffe to apologise for saying ‘UK has been colonised’

Sir Keir Starmer criticized remarks made by the businessman, who also co-owns Manchester United, describing them as “offensive and wrong”.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has criticized comments made by Sir Jim Ratcliffe, co-owner of Manchester United, regarding immigration, describing them as "offensive and wrong".

Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who has brown greying hair and a grey stubble beard, wears a beige linen suit jacket with a white shirt and red tie

In an interview with Sky News on Wednesday, Sir Jim Ratcliffe, founder of the INEOS chemicals group, stated that the UK has been "colonised by immigrants", and suggested that the prime minister is too lenient in addressing the country's economic issues.

Sir Keir Starmer responded to the comments on Wednesday evening, emphasizing that the UK is "a proud, tolerant, and diverse country", and urged Sir Jim to apologize for his remarks.

A spokesperson for Downing Street also called on Sir Jim to apologize, stating that his comments "play into the hands of those who seek to divide the country".

The BBC has reached out to Ineos and Manchester United for a response to Sir Jim's statements.

Sir Jim expressed concerns about the UK's economy, stating that it is unsustainable to have "nine million people on benefits and huge levels of immigrants coming in".

He further stated that the UK's population growth is a significant issue, saying "the UK has been colonised, really, hasn't it?" and citing the increase in population from 58 million in 2020 to 70 million.

According to Sir Jim, this population growth is evidence of the UK being "colonised by immigrants", with 12 million new people in the country.

However, data from the Office for National Statistics shows that the UK's population was estimated to be 69.4 million in mid-2025, up from 66.7 million in mid-2020.

Sir Jim made these comments during an interview with Sky News' economic editor Ed Conway at the European Industry Summit in Antwerp, Belgium.

The comments have been condemned by several organizations, including the Manchester United Muslim Supporters Club, Show Racism the Red Card, and Kick It Out.

The Manchester United Muslim Supporters Club expressed deep concern over the remarks, noting that the term "colonised" is not a neutral term.

The club stated that this language is often used in far-right narratives to frame migrants as invaders and demographic threats.

Show Racism the Red Card emphasized that football clubs should use their influence to challenge racism, rather than perpetuate divisive narratives.

Kick It Out described Sir Jim's comments as "disgraceful and deeply divisive".

The 1958 Group of Manchester United supporters criticized Sir Jim's comments as "ill-advised", and pointed out that he lives in Monaco to avoid paying tax while commenting on UK issues.

Sir Jim, 73, believes that politicians need to be willing to make unpopular decisions to address the country's major issues.

Since acquiring a 27.7% stake in Manchester United in 2024, Sir Jim has implemented significant changes, including 450 redundancies and the overhaul of senior management.

He acknowledged that some of his decisions have been unpopular, but stated that they were necessary to address the club's issues.

Sir Jim drew parallels between his decisions at Manchester United and the need for politicians to make difficult choices, saying that they must be willing to be unpopular in the short term to achieve long-term goals.

He emphasized that addressing issues like immigration and benefits requires courage and a willingness to make unpopular decisions.

Sir Jim expressed his view that the prime minister must take tough actions to get the country back on track.

He recently met with Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, describing him as an "intelligent man" with "good intentions", and compared him to Sir Keir Starmer.

Sir Jim reiterated the need for a leader who is willing to make unpopular decisions to address the country's major issues.

In response to Sir Keir's criticism, Nigel Farage stated on X that the UK has experienced unprecedented mass immigration, which has changed the character of many areas, and that Labour is ignoring this issue.

Farage added that Reform UK will not ignore the issue of mass immigration, in contrast to Labour's approach.

Entertainment And Arts

Spielberg Contributes $25,000 to Van Der Beek’s $2 Million Crowdfunding Campaign

The relatives of the deceased actor, known for his role in Dawson’s Creek, have expressed gratitude to those who contributed to the $2m fund.

A donation of $25,000 (£21,000) has been made by film director Steven Spielberg and his wife, Kate Capshaw, to a GoFundMe campaign that has raised over $2m (£1.6m) for the family of late actor James Van Der Beek.

James Van Der Beek wearing a maroon dickie bow while smiling for the cameras on arrival at the 2019 Emmy Awards
James Van Der Beek's character Dawson was a famous fan of filmmaker Spielberg

Van Der Beek, who passed away at the age of 48, is survived by his wife Kimberly and their six children, and the crowdfunding effort to support his family has now exceeded its initial target of $2m.

Other notable donors include Oscar-winning actress Zoe Saldana, who contributed $2,500 (£2,108), and director Jon M Chu, who gave $10,000 (£8,432) to the cause.

A statement from the organizers of the fundraiser, Friends of the Van Der Beek family, expressed gratitude to all contributors, stating that their support is deeply appreciated.

The statement highlighted the significance of the donations, saying that the kindness shown by contributors is beyond words.

It also noted that the outpouring of support has been a source of comfort during a difficult time, serving as a reminder of the power of love, community, and the enduring legacy of James Van Der Beek.

Van Der Beek was perhaps best known for his starring role in the popular US teen drama series Dawson's Creek, which aired from 1998 to 2003, although he remained associated with the show until 2023.

Although Van Der Beek and Spielberg never collaborated on a project, the late actor's character in Dawson's Creek was a fan of Spielberg's work, with posters of films like ET and Schindler's List featured in his bedroom.

At a Dawson's Creek cast reunion event last year, Spielberg paid tribute to Van Der Beek by sending a video message.

In the message, Spielberg said, "Dawson, you made it," and jokingly added that he hoped to one day have a room like Dawson's, filled with memorabilia from his films.

Van Der Beek passed away on Wednesday after a battle with bowel cancer.

Steven Spielberg arrives for the 98th Oscars Nominees Luncheon at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California, USA, 10 February 2026
Spielberg made a surprise video appearance at last year's Dawson's Creek reunion

He had been dealing with the diagnosis since August 2023 and publicly disclosed his condition in November 2024.

The GoFundMe campaign was launched to help the family with medical expenses, which had depleted their funds.

The statement from the organizers concluded by saying that the family is currently taking time to grieve and be together, and thanked everyone for their compassionate and generous support in honoring James Van Der Beek's life.

Continue Reading

News

Zimbabwe Shocks Australia with Muzarabani’s Exceptional Performance

Zimbabwe secured a stunning 23-run victory over Australia in the T20 World Cup, with Blessing Muzarabani playing a key role by taking 4-17.

In the current T20 world rankings, Zimbabwe occupies the 12th position.

The Men's T20 World Cup is underway in Group B at Colombo.

Zimbabwe's innings concluded at 169-2 after 20 overs, with Bennett scoring an unbeaten 64 off 56 deliveries, while Green claimed 1-6.

Australia's reply ended at 146 after 19.3 overs, as Renshaw top-scored with 65 off 44 balls, and Muzarabani took 4-17.

The match resulted in a 23-run victory for Zimbabwe.

A standout performance from Blessing Muzarabani, who took 4-17, helped Zimbabwe secure a thrilling 23-run win over Australia in the T20 World Cup.

After being set a target of 170, Australia found themselves in trouble at 29-4, but a 77-run partnership between Matthew Renshaw and Glenn Maxwell for the fifth wicket gave them hope.

With 34 runs needed from the last two overs, Renshaw's dismissal for 65, caught off Muzarabani with eight balls remaining, essentially sealed the game's outcome.

The result has left Group B finely balanced after two matches each, with Australia trailing Zimbabwe and Sri Lanka by two points, ahead of their meeting with Sri Lanka on Monday.

Initially, Zimbabwe's approach to batting first at the R. Premadasa Stadium appeared overly cautious.

Brian Bennett's innings of 64 not out from 56 balls, including seven fours, was played at a strike rate of 114.28, as he anchored the Zimbabwean batting.

In contrast, Tadiwanashe Marumani and Ryan Burl adopted a more aggressive approach, scoring 35 off 21 and 30 balls, respectively.

A late surge from Zimbabwe skipper Sikandar Raza, who scored 25 off 13 balls, including the team's only six on the final ball, provided a boost to their total.

Australia's target seemed achievable, given their total of 182-6 in their previous win against Ireland.

However, the Australian batting line-up was severely dented by the loss of key wickets, including Josh Inglis, Travis Head, Cameron Green, and Tim David, courtesy of Muzarabani and Brad Evans.

A partnership between Renshaw and Maxwell offered some respite, but when Maxwell fell for 31, dragged on to Burl, the pressure mounted on Australia.

Muzarabani's return to bowl the penultimate over proved decisive, as he removed Renshaw, and Zimbabwe subsequently wrapped up the win.

There are calls for the ICC to review the rules regarding 12th men.

For more information, including notifications and social media updates, visit BBC Sport.

A blogger who participates in the FPL is also competing in the T20 World Cup.

Continue Reading

News

FA Cup Finalists Outside the Big Six Since 2008

As the FA Cup resumes this weekend, assess your understanding of past finalists that have competed from beyond the Premier League’s top six clubs.

This weekend, the FA Cup resumes with 32 teams remaining in contention for the historic trophy, which has been awarded for 155 years and will be presented to the winner in May.

Historically, the Premier League's top six clubs – Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, and Tottenham – have dominated the FA Cup, claiming 32 titles out of the last 37.

However, in recent years, teams outside of this elite group have experienced some notable victories in the competition.

Since 2008, 10 teams from outside the traditional 'big six' have advanced to the FA Cup final – can you identify all of them?

For more quizzes, visit our Football Quizzes and Sports Quizzes sections, where you can also subscribe to receive the latest quizzes directly on your device.

We have a quiz question tailored to each Premier League team – test your knowledge and see how you score.

Can you recall every team that has won the Women's Champions League?

Which players have made the most appearances in the Premier League – can you name them all?

Explore our Sports Quizzes page for a wide range of challenging and engaging quizzes.

Continue Reading

Trending