Name: Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe apologises after 'colonisation' comments | BBC News
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We start the program with some breaking news around the comments made by Sir Jim Radcliffe, the billionaire co owner of Manchester United.

Adverbs of degree

We have just had news that he has apologised for comments that he made when he said the UK has been colonized by immigrants.

Now, in the past few minutes or so he has said, I am sorry that my choice of language has offended some people in the UK and Europe.

I'm sorry that my choice of language has offended some people in the UK and Europe.

And then went on to say it is important to raise the issue of controlled and well managed immigration that supports economic growth.

So that comment just coming in the past few minutes or so from Sir Jim Radcliffe, apologising, but

saying it's important to raise the issue of controlled and well managed immigration.

So this comes after we had pressure from the Prime Minister of the uk, Sir Keir Starmer, who said the comments he made were offensive and, and

wrong and said that he should apologise Sakiya saying that Britain was a proud, tolerant and diverse country.

And that was when he also called on Sir Jim to apologise.

Let's bring in our political correspondent Nick Adley who is in Westminster for us.

We've just had this apology through from Sir Jim.

What other details do you have of any, Nick?

Well, what I can tell you is the political reaction to this has been pretty vociferous over the last 12 hours.

Actually the Government has been very critical of Sir Jim Ratcliffe's comments.

We heard, as you said, the Prime Minister calling for an apology in the last half hour.

The Chancellor has called the comments disgusting.

There is a wider question here, I think, about immigration which has been coming up at Westminster and it's interesting that Reform UK have taken a very different tack.

Nigel Farage, the Reform UK leader, saying that mass migration has changed the character of a number of areas and Labour might try to ignore it, but

What does seem to have frustrated a lot of people at Westminster though is the language used by Sir Jim Ratcliffe in his statement.

It seems this apology, which I'm going to be honest, I don't have the full thing in front of me, but

from the lines that have been sent from it, he said that he's sorry for his choice of language offending some people in the uk.

I'm just going to interrupt you because we have just received the statement.

So I'm going to read the statement so that we have it in full and then I'll get you to respond with some of the reaction that we've been having over the past 24 hours.

So sir Jim says, I am sorry that my choice of language has offended some people in the UK and Europe and caused concern, but

it is important to raise the issue of controlled and well managed immigration that supports economic growth.

My comments were made while answering questions about UK policy at the European Industry Summit in Antwerp where I was discussing the importance of economic growth, jobs, skills and manufacturing in the uk.

My intention was to stress that governments must manage migration alongside investment in skills, industry and jobs so that long term prosperity is shared by everyone.

It is critical that we maintain an open debate on the challenges facing the uk.

So that is the statement that has just been sent through Nick.

I think the question that I suspect a lot of politicians will be asked over the next few hours is do they see that as a fulsome apology or do they think the particular language of saying I'm sorry that my choice of language offended people goes far enough?

I mean, the broader context for this, of course, is it's been a really bruising week for the Government and I suspect the Prime Minister was more than happy to be in a place where he could talk about something other than his own leadership Sometimes feels like Downing street is as precarious as the Manchester United dugout at the moment.

But what the Government has tried to do is say that these comments are completely wrong and that immigration has been good for the uk.

There's no doubt that there is a debate about mass migration going on in the UK Parliament.

There is no doubt that this government under Keir Starmer has wanted to look tougher on that issue.

And even though Sir Jim Ratcliffe's comments and his particular language have caused a lot of controversy and led to a lot of criticism, including that call for an apology, there are also some, particularly on the political right, who think he has a point and think that that conversation is one that is going to be absolutely crucial to British politics over the next few years.

Nick, great to have you with us responding so quickly as well to this breaking news that Sir Jim Ratcliffe has apologised for his choice of language.