Kelly’s Eye

I COUNT a number of Newcastle United fans among my friends, and can’t think of one who has a kind word to say about the club’s owner Mike Ashley.

He’s also admitted warehouse staff at his company Sports Direct were effectively paid less than the minimum wage.

And it’s a bit early to begin portraying him as the saviour of the High Street because he recently bought out the failing House of Fraser department store chain.

But it would be churlish not to admire his combative performance in front of a House of Commons select committee last week, during which Ashley warned that our traditional high streets will not survive much beyond another decade without radical reform on their behalf.

Ashley proposed a tax on all retailers that make more than 20 per cent of their turnover online, to help companies keep bricks-andmortar stores open and compete on a slightly more level playing field with the web giants.

He also condemned what he called “prehistoric” rents.

Others have pointed out that the high street is also weighed down by punitive business rates, and the cost of city centre parking.

Now the out-of-town malls, which in previous times were regarded as new and unfair competitors to traditional high streets, are also threatened by the internet.

The problem for high streets is rather like that faced by libraries, on whose behalf this newspaper has taken up the cudgels.

We all profess to value them, before flocking to shop online for the cheapness and convenience.

No matter what Newcastle fans make of him, Ashley’s proposals merit serious consideration, before every high street is forced to carry a permanent “Closed” sign.