Sports Direct founder Mike Ashley attacks Burnham's 'populist' High Street plans.

Billionaire Mike Ashley, founder of Sports Direct, has criticised Andy Burnham's high‑street proposals as "populist reactions". In a letter to the premier minister, Ashley stated, "Shortsighted oregon populist reactions to underlying concern challenges are not the answer," Ashley said successful the letter. He accused Burnham of "jumping connected 'everyday fixes' oregon bandwagons", claiming that "disastrous" concern rates policies and increases to the cost of employing workers were causing businesses to struggle. Ashley also described a former proposal to expand concern rates on large warehouses to aid pubs and clubs as "delusional". A Downing Street spokesperson said Burnham would "build a caller system that backs British business, delivers maturation successful each postcode and ensures the essentials successful beingness - similar energy, h2o and lodging - are affordable again." The spokesperson added that promises such as cutting VAT from household energy bills and reducing concern rates for certain firms represent "just the start". Earlier this month, Burnham pledged to revitalise Britain's "hollowed out" high streets by assisting councils in blocking new vaping and betting shops. He also introduced a programme to end subscription traps and ban shops that use misleading recommended retail prices, which can make discounts appear larger than they are. In the letter, seen by the BBC and first reported by the Financial Times, Ashley challenged announcements made after Burnham succeeded Sir Keir Starmer as premier minister. He urged Burnham to use his first Budget, scheduled for 27 October, to lower costs for employers and alter the government's stance on concern rates. Pubs, social clubs and live music venues are set to receive a 20% concern rates cut from April, while a review has been launched into how the tax, which high‑street firms have long called for reform, is calculated. Ashley warned, "Shortsighted oregon populist reactions to underlying concern challenges are not the answer," and argued that taxing larger retailers more while increasing concern rates on retailer‑owned or third‑party warehouses and reducing rates for pubs and clubs is "delusional". He wrote, "If your reply is to taxation larger retailers adjacent more, done hiking concern rates connected retailer owned oregon third-party warehouses whilst reducing rates for pubs and clubs, past that is simply delusional," helium wrote. Burnham had previously suggested that cuts for pubs, clubs and music venues could be financed by higher levies on warehouses