Sports Direct founder attacks Burnham's High Street plans

In a letter to the prime minister, billionaire Sports Direct founder Mike Ashley has criticized recent cost of living and retail policies from Andy Burnham as 'populist reactions'. Ashley accused Burnham of 'jumping on 'everyday fixes' or bandwagons', while 'disastrous' business rates policies and increases to the cost of employing workers were causing businesses to struggle.

He also described a previous proposal of increasing business rates on large warehouses to help reduce them for pubs and clubs as 'delusional'. A Downing Street spokesperson said Burnham would 'build a new economy that backs British business, delivers growth in every postcode and ensures the essentials in life - like energy, water and housing - are affordable again.

Ashley has repeatedly called for a fundamental overhaul of the tax, including levelling the playing field between High Street retailers and online rivals. He also used his letter to attack Burnham's plans to clamp down on the use of recommended retail prices, saying instead the real issue is 'price fixing in sporting goods and other markets' - where he cited the rising cost of official football merchandise.