Ashley owns Sports Direct. He hit out at Andy Burnham on Thursday. The fight was over plans to revive the UK high street. Ashley labelled those proposals populist and delusional. He stated they would be disastrous for retail.
Burnham is the Mayor of Greater Manchester. He has pushed policies aimed at aiding ailing high streets. Ashley rebuffed the stance. He said it was shaped by politics instead of direct retail knowledge. The two are at odds. They disagree on how or whether government action can reverse the slump of town centre shopping.