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Sports Direct boss Mike Ashley 'can be ordered to give evidence' | Sports Direct boss Mike Ashley 'can be ordered to give evidence' |
(35 minutes later) | |
MPs can order the founder of Sports Direct to answer questions about how his workers are treated, the House of Commons speaker has said. | MPs can order the founder of Sports Direct to answer questions about how his workers are treated, the House of Commons speaker has said. |
John Bercow said the matter can be taken further by immediately assessing if Mike Ashley can be held in contempt for refusing to appear at Westminster. | John Bercow said the matter can be taken further by immediately assessing if Mike Ashley can be held in contempt for refusing to appear at Westminster. |
Mr Ashley branded MPs "a joke" on Monday as he said he would not attend, despite being formally summoned. | Mr Ashley branded MPs "a joke" on Monday as he said he would not attend, despite being formally summoned. |
A Commons committee wants to quiz him over a review of staff conditions. | A Commons committee wants to quiz him over a review of staff conditions. |
Updates on this story and more from Derbyshire | Updates on this story and more from Derbyshire |
Mr Bercow said the Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) select committee can now take the matter further by asking the Commons to debate the case as a matter of privilege, enabling it to consider the contempt issue. | |
Addressing Mr Bercow, BIS chairman Iain Wright said: "I don't think scrutinising reports of Victorian-type employment conditions in modern day Britain is a joke." | |
Mr Bercow said "the House expects witnesses to obey the committee's order to attend". | Mr Bercow said "the House expects witnesses to obey the committee's order to attend". |
Mr Ashley - who also owns Newcastle United Football Club - had been asked to attend Westminster on 7 June following a BBC investigation into Sports Direct's warehouse working practices. | Mr Ashley - who also owns Newcastle United Football Club - had been asked to attend Westminster on 7 June following a BBC investigation into Sports Direct's warehouse working practices. |
He had unsuccessfully urged MPs to attend his firm's Derbyshire base to see conditions for themselves. | He had unsuccessfully urged MPs to attend his firm's Derbyshire base to see conditions for themselves. |
In a statement, Mr Wright said: "We expect Mr Ashley to attend on 7 June to respond on public record to the serious concerns regarding the treatment of workers at Sports Direct. | |
"We are still to receive a formal response from Mr Ashley." | |
Mr Ashley said on Monday he would not "stand idle" while Sports Direct is "subjected to public vilification". | |
"In my opinion, they're (MPs) just showboating," he told Sky News. "In my opinion, they're actually a joke." | |
He added he would love to "box the ears" of Ed Miliband - after the former Labour leader said the company was "a terrible place to work", in 2014. | |
In response, Mr Miliband stood by his claims and told the BBC the "downward spiral in the reputation of Sports Direct is down to the practices of Sports Direct". | |
"All of us that have drawn attention to these practices have been right to do so," he said. |
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