Billionaire Rhetoric Fuels Rising Racism in UK, Experts Warn
Sir Jim Ratcliffe, the UK billionaire and Monaco resident, has sparked controversy with his recent comments accusing immigrants of having "colonised" Britain. His remarks, made in Wolverhampton on December 8, 2025, join a growing chorus of influential figures—including Donald Trump and Elon Musk—who are tearing down societal guardrails against racism and prejudice.
The New Dawn of Uninhibited Speech
Following Trump's 2024 presidential victory, a top banker told the Financial Times he felt "liberated," able to use derogatory terms without fear of cancellation. This sentiment reflects a broader shift where the super-rich increasingly voice vile opinions publicly. Ratcliffe, with a fortune estimated at £17 billion, exemplifies this trend, debunking the myth that anti-immigrant sentiment stems solely from economic anxiety.
Data from Ipsos in January revealed that Britain's most affluent voters are the most concerned about immigration, showing no correlation between income and hostility. Elon Musk, the world's richest man, further amplifies this by backing anti-immigration parties across Europe and promoting extreme voices on his X platform.
A Backward Slide on Racism
Sunder Katwala, director of the British Future thinktank, warns that Britain is "going backwards on racism." Evidence abounds: 116,000 hate crimes were recorded in England and Wales (excluding London) in the year to March 2025, a fifth involving violence. NHS staff face "ugly, 1970s-style" racism, with Health Secretary Wes Streeting noting it's becoming "socially acceptable to be racist."
Public discourse has deteriorated, with debates over whether Rishi Sunak is English and former cabinet minister Robert Jenrick lamenting not seeing "another white face" in Birmingham. Former Prime Minister Liz Truss appeared on a show hosted by far-right figure Connor Tomlinson, who believes ethnic minorities should not be MPs.
The Amplification of Extremism
Social media platforms, particularly X, have become breeding grounds for racial abuse, with politicians like Priti Patel and Shabana Mahmood routinely targeted. Antisemitic incidents have risen, spiking after the deadly synagogue attack in Heaton Park, Manchester. Online influencers like Tomlinson and Nick Fuentes, a white supremacist who advocates sending women to "breeding gulags," reach millions with shocking rhetoric, driven by an attention economy that rewards extremity.
Musk promotes Advance UK, a party including Tommy Robinson that vows to ban indefinite leave to remain and encourage migrants to leave. The pandemic radicalized a small online minority through conspiracy theories, exacerbating the shift.
A Call to Vigilance
While most Britons maintain tolerant attitudes, complacency has set in. Racism and prejudice are light sleepers, easily awakened by loud, powerful voices. The battle against them must be fought anew in every generation, as figures like Ratcliffe, Trump, and Musk enable racists to feel great again.
