Fact-checking Jim Ratcliffe's Claims: Immigration, Benefits, and Energy
Billionaire and Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has sparked controversy with his recent statements on immigration and the UK economy. In an interview with Sky News, he claimed that the UK had been 'colonised by immigrants' and that the country's economy was struggling due to a large number of people on benefits. But are his claims accurate? Let's dive in and fact-check his statements on immigration, benefits, and energy.
Immigration and Population Growth
Sir Jim stated that the UK's population has increased by 12 million people since 2020, with nine million of those people on benefits. While it's true that the UK's population has grown, the number of people on benefits is not as high as he suggested.
According to official figures from the Department of Work and Pensions, about 10 million working-age people in Great Britain claimed a combination of benefits in February 2025. However, a significant portion of these claimants were working and receiving benefits to supplement their incomes. When it comes to people receiving benefits due to being out of work, the figures suggest there were about 6.5 million claimants, not nine million.
The debate around whether migrants cost 'too much money' is intense. When BBC Verify previously examined the economic impact of migrants, Ben Bridle from the Migration Observatory explained that their contribution depends on many factors, including age, earnings, use of public services, and length of stay in the UK. Migrants can have a positive impact on public finances when they are young and cannot claim benefits, but a negative impact later as they age and use more public services.
Energy Prices and Carbon Taxes
Sir Jim also claimed that energy costs in the UK are three or four times higher than in the USA, and that carbon taxes have quadrupled since 2020. While it's true that energy prices in the UK are higher than in the US, the comparison is not as straightforward as he suggested.
We asked the International Energy Agency (IEA) for figures on energy prices in the UK and the US for the fourth quarter of 2025. For industrial electricity, the price in the UK was 3.7 times the US figure. For industrial natural gas, the multiple was 4.5 times. However, carbon prices have risen sharply, but they are not four times higher now.
After Brexit, the UK left the EU's carbon market and launched its own one in 2021, allowing companies to buy and sell carbon credits. The carbon price started at £22 per tonne of CO2, peaked at £97 per tonne during the 2022 energy crisis, and is now around £52 per tonne - about two and a half times higher than the starting price.
Manufacturing and GDP
Sir Jim also claimed that about 25% of the UK's GDP was manufacturing in 1995, and that the figure remained the same today, whereas it had fallen to about 8% in the UK. According to World Bank data, in 1995, just over 15% of the UK's economic output (GDP) came from manufacturing. That's ten percentage points lower than the figure Sir Jim claimed.
While Sir Jim's figures are not exactly right, he is not far off. The World Bank data shows that manufacturing accounted for 20% of Germany's GDP in 1995, and the latest data for 2024 shows it has dropped just two percentage points to 18%. The UK, meanwhile, has dropped to 8% - the same figure Sir Jim used.
So, what's the takeaway? While some of Sir Jim's claims may be slightly off, they do raise important questions about the UK's economy and immigration. It's essential to approach these topics with nuance and consider the complexities of each issue. What do you think? Do you agree or disagree with Sir Jim's claims? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
