Sports Direct International PLC (LON:SPD) owner Mike Ashley has vowed to save the struggling British high street, insisting MPs must do more to help halt the slide of the UK's shopping streets.
In a brief statement on Thursday, the FTSE 250-listed group confirmed Ashley, whose Sports Direct group stepped in to rescue House of Fraser over the summer, would attend a select committee meeting in Westminster on December 3 after demanding to meet MPs in person.
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"Since we acquired House of Fraser, we've been working around the clock to save as many stores and jobs as possible. 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,” Ashley said in the statement.
Sports Direct has so far saved more than 20 House of Fraser stores, including the iconic Frasers store in Glasgow, which the company bought for £95mln in a bid to create ‘the Harrods of the North’.
The Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee is currently conducting an inquiry into 'High streets and town centres in 2030.'
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 (Ashley) thought that wouldn't achieve anything, so instead he demanded to go along in person for a full hour,” a Sports Direct spokesman added.