The founder of Sports Direct, Mike Ashley, has demanded a meeting with MPs in Westminster to tell them how to save the British high street.
In a formal stock market statement entitled “Mike Ashley vows to save the high street after demanding to see select committee”, the billionaire said he would attend a meeting of MPs on the housing, communities and local government committee on 3 December.
Ashley, whose retail group snapped up the ailing House of Fraser and Evans Cycles chains this year, said: “I believe politicians and landlords should be doing more to save our struggling high streets, so I intend to make the most of this opportunity to make a real difference.”
A spokesman for Sports Direct said: “The MPs originally wanted somebody from House of Fraser to speak for about 15 minutes as part of a panel of four, and said they didn’t mind who it was. Mike thought that wouldn’t achieve anything, so instead he demanded to go along in person for a full hour.”
Ashley has not always been so keen to visit parliament. MPs investigating the treatment of workers at Sports Direct in 2016 took the unusual step of issuing a summons after he resisted calls to give evidence.
When he eventually appeared, he confirmed the findings of a Guardian investigation that Sports Direct had effectively been paying workers at its warehouse below the minimum wage. He also promised to make changes, not all of which have been carried through.
The select committee began its inquiry into the difficulties on the high street in May. Its chair, Clive Betts, said Ashley would be speaking alongside a number of other retailers.
“We are very pleased he will be represented. It is clear Sports Direct is having a major impact on the high street at present and we want to hear from him. We will listen attentively but we will also question him about his plans and actions so far,” the Labour MP added.
So far the committee has heard from local councils and trade associations, including the British Retail Consortium and UK Hospitality, as well as from the veteran retailer Bill Grimsey, who has backed two reports into the fate of British high streets.
Ashley said Sports Direct had been “working around the clock to save as many stores and jobs as possible”, at House of Fraser, which he bought out of administration for £90m in August.
Sports Direct has so far agreed deals on 20 stores including the £95m acquisition of Frasers in Glasgow. Ashley has pledged to turn House of Fraser into the “Harrods of the high street”, but a number of key suppliers have pulled out after disputes over terms.
About 12 stores are to close after Sports Direct failed to secure terms with landlords including Intu, the owners of shopping centres such as the Metrocentre in Gateshead and Lakeside in Essex.
Ashley has also said that half of Evans’ 62 stores could close depending on discussions with landlords.
