If the select committee needs to gather evidence, then go and speak to him or perhaps more usefully the people who work for and with him and do a proper, validated, investigation.

How about they just ask him to spare half a day and come and talk to them, and go do some more looking around.

All select committees take evidence in public, with very few exceptions.

Didn’t know that, someone I know gave evidence in camera, didn’t realise it was rare.

geoffj – Member

I detest the guy, but I can’t help admiring him for refusing to be publicly ridiculed by some half wit committee, usually chaired by Margaret Hodge or the like.

Some impressive backpedaling has been going on.

After dismissing the select committee as a “joke” and refusing to meet them Mike Ashley is now telling them, quote : “You people are pushing against an open door, you’re not pushing against a closed door with me”.

And apparently it’s all come as a terrible of shock to him, it’s been in fact, quote : “an unpleasant surprise”. He must very grateful to the Guardian newspaper then, eh?

I can’t help but admire the guy’s spinelessness. Well, you’ve got to admire something about him.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-36465404

I can’t help but admire the guy’s spinelessness. Well, you’ve got to admire something about him.

About the only thing to admire is that he managed not to cock up the rafa deal. It was always the worst part about a trip to SJP that my folks seats were opposite his box.

I hope something comes of the trip to London.

Now that this is done, I think we need another select committee enquiry into how he’s been massively overpaying a load of salaried employees that haven’t turned up for most of their contracted hours over the last year or so.

He won’t need to travel to London for that, he should head further North. And don’t expect such an easy ride as he got down south.

Interesting watching him. Clearly a man with considerable insecurities.

Interesting watching him. Clearly a man with considerable insecurities.

Insecurity is one of the biggest drivers of this kind of commercial ambition. Combine it with a bit of sociopathy and you’ve got the perfect cocktail for success.

Ashley clearly isn’t a corporate man. He’s a buyer and seller, you might call him a classic barrowboy. And TBH, he’s rather good at it. Exactly how much of the zero hours, zero tolerance culture in his sheds is down to him is debatable, but I imagine he just told his equally sociopathic underlings to organise labour at the lowest price and they got on with it as close to the legal limit as possible.

The learning experience for a business like Sports Direct is always when the sudden increase in size means a disconnect between the very top and conditions at the bottom.

As for the committee, blaming business for taking advantage of legislation (zero hours) you’ve enacted is just a diversionary tactic.

As for the committee, blaming business for taking advantage of legislation (zero hours) you’ve enacted is just a diversionary tactic.

It’s hardly a diversionary tactic, it’s the job of select committees to advise the government on issues concerning legislation. So investigations of this sort is exactly what the Business, Innovation and Skills Select Committee exists to investigate.

A point which Mike Ashley obviously accepts wholeheartedly when he says “You people are pushing against an open door, you’re not pushing against a closed door with me”.

It was a fantastic bit of tv to watch the Ashley get a public slap.

When he said those months ago that he ‘had nothing to hide’ that the opposite was true and would be extremely embarrassing to air it in public.

When Mp’s come across looking good, you know you are in the poop.

but I imagine he just told his equally sociopathic underlings to organise labour at the lowest price and they got on with it as close to the legal limit as possible.

Ashley is famous for having an extremely loyal core of “lieutenants”, all of whom have been with him for years.

Business cultures are set from the very top – his is no different.