On Tuesday they saw through that threat and demanded he attend in a “summons” sent to his offices.
The next step could involve contempt of Parliament proceedings if he still refuses. However, these centuries-old powers have never been tested in modern times.
It is understood that the committee first wrote to Ashley towards the end of last year, in an attempt to agree a date for his appearance.
Sports Direct insisted that those letters remain private, which the committee initially adhered to. But it could now publish them in the wake of Tuesday’s summons.
The MPs are also understood to have rejected Mr Ashley’s invitation for them to visit his Shirebrook warehouse, preferring him to attend Parliament.
Their decision is said to have been made after Ashley wrote to the committee last week calling its behaviour “disgusting” for trying to create a “media circus” in Westminster, when it threatened him with contempt of Parliament if he did not agree a date
The last time MPs tried to get Ashley to give evidence – over the collapse of Sports Direct subsidiary USC, where workers were given 15 minutes’ notice that they were set to lose their jobs – he claimed to be too busy to attend.
Rough patch: Sports Direct's poor Christmas led to a profit warning (Picture: Sports Direct)
Sports Direct
But observers noted that he had been seen at the company’s Shirebrook and London offices, as well as attending a Newcastle United match.
At that point, the committee published all correspondence between the two parties, which Ashley’s lawyers said at the time breached his “human rights”.
Eventually, the company’s chairman Keith Hellawell appeared, and was accused of overseeing a “back-street operation” where executives, including Ashley and chief executive Dave Forsey, kept information from non-executive board members.
Ashley had said he was “disgusted” with the committee’s behaviour and demanded that MPs come to Shirebrook for a tour – something MPs have rejected.
Several big names have been summoned to give evidence to select committees in parliament in recent years, including Rupert Murdoch; no one has been found in contempt.
