BBC Dragons’ Den star BACKS Jim Ratcliffe’s illegal migration ‘colonisation’ warning
Former Dragons’ Den star Duncan Bannatyne has backed Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s migration warning after it sparked a major political firestorm.
Ineos tycoon and Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim yesterday told Sky News that Britain had been “colonised” by migrants.
“You can’t have an economy with nine million people on benefits and huge levels of immigrants coming in,” he told the broadcaster. “I mean, the UK has been colonised. It’s costing too much money.
“The UK has been colonised by immigrants, really, hasn’t it?”
Now, ex-Dragon and multi-millionaire Bannatyne has weighed in with a staunch defence.
He replied “Here, here” to The Sun’s former editor Kelvin MacKenzie, who said Sir Jim “is to be listened to”.
“Certainly in some parts of the country the density of migrants makes you wonder if you are still in Britain,” MacKenzie said. “He and his company have paid more tax to our Exchequer over the years than all his critics put together.”
But that sparked a war of words with university professor Dr Kehinde Ross, who claimed migrants were in Britain “because we had a massive shortage of people to work in the care sector”.
‘The UK has been colonised by immigrants, really, hasn’t it,’ Sir Jim Ratcliffe said
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Dr Ross added: “Then another lot of migrants pay visa fees, health surcharge as well as tax and National Insurance contributions. What does [Sir Jim] mean by ‘They are costing too much money’?”
Bannatyne hit back with a scathing rebuke, saying: “You think all the male fighting class immigrants arriving by boats now are paying for their own accommodation and food and medical bills and legal representation?”
He also shared a post reading: “The more millionaires and billionaires that speak out, the stronger our voice becomes.”
The Manchester United co-owner lives in tax haven Monaco – a move which Bannatyne also defended.
JIM RATCLIFFE SPEAKS OUT – READ MORE:
Duncan Bannatyne has backed Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s migration warning
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“There is a difference to moving to Monaco and paying into the system, and arriving in the UK in a small dinghy, penniless,” he said.
Sir Jim’s words became the centre of a major migration row on Wednesday night, with the Prime Minister calling on him to say sorry.
“Offensive and wrong,” Sir Keir Starmer said. “Britain is a proud, tolerant and diverse country. Jim Ratcliffe should apologise.”
No10 went on to claiam his “offensive remarks play into the hands of those who want to divide our country”.
Sir Jim had also taken aim at the PM.
‘Britain is a proud, tolerant and diverse country. Jim Ratcliffe should apologise,’ the PM blasted
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GETTYHe said the country needed a leader “prepared to be unpopular for a period” to address Britain’s issues, and warned that Sir Keir, while “a nice man”, may not be the right man for the job.
Nigel Farage, meanwhile, is “intelligent” with “good intentions”, he added.
And speaking to GB News, Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp said it was “perfectly right” for the Ineos founder to comment on Britain’s migrant crisis.
“The ones who should be apologising are Keir Starmer and Shabana Mahmood… for allowing 65,000 migrants to cross the Channel since the General Election.”
