Sir Jim Ratcliffe claims immigration and ‘the benefits problem’ has put the UK in decline (AFP via Getty)
Manchester United owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe claims the UK ‘is on the slide’ and has warned that the country could face a gas shortage this winter.
The 73-year-old billionaire, who owns petrochemicals giant Ineos, believes the government’s failure to tackle immigration and ‘the benefits problem’ has put the UK in decline.
Ratcliffe, who was born in Failsworth, Greater Manchester, and now resides in Monaco, believes that ‘the UK has got a bit of a green eye towards wealth’, which is driving people away from the country.
Earlier this month, hedge fund billionaire Chris Rokos, Britain’s third largest taxpayer who paid £330 million last year, announced that he is leaving the UK for Greece.
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‘I think the UK, unfortunately, it was a fantastic place,’ Ratcliffe said in an interview with the BBC.
‘We had the greatest empire in the world. We were a great people. We won two world wars. We’re good, honest folk.
Manchester United fans protested against the club’s ownership during the defeat to Manchester City at Old Trafford last weekend (AMA/Getty Images)
‘Unfortunately at the moment I think the UK is on the slide, and it’s quite difficult to see how we arrest it.
‘I think, ultimately, we need politicians… two things – we need politicians who are tough enough to deal with some very difficult problems, and we know what the problems are, and we need politicians who will make decisions which are good for the country, not good for themselves and their party. We haven’t had one of those for a long time.
‘Nobody is tough enough to deal with the immigration problem. Nobody is tough enough to deal with the benefits problem. But somebody needs to do it, otherwise it ends in a bad place, doesn’t it?’
Ratcliffe also claimed that it was ‘insanity’ that the government has not invested heavily in North Sea oil and gas and warned that the UK could run out of gas this winter due to low storage levels.
‘If we have a really sharp cold spell, then there is conceivably the possibility that we’ll run out of gas and have to switch industry off… our storage is not full,’ Ratcliffe said.
In response to Ratcliffe’s claims, a government spokesperson said: ‘We have a diverse energy mix and are confident in our security of supply.’
