Ashley owns Sports Direct. He hit out at Andy Burnham on Thursday. The row was about 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 advanced policies directed at supporting struggling high streets. Ashley rejected the stance. He said it was steered by politics rather than practical retail knowledge. The two are at odds. They differ on how or whether government involvement can stop the slump of town centre shopping.