Ashley owns Sports Direct. He went after Andy Burnham on Thursday. The fight 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 pushed policies aimed at aiding struggling high streets. Ashley rebuffed the stance. He said it was steered by politics rather than practical retail knowledge. The two are at odds. They disagree on how or whether government action can undo the decline of town centre shopping.