The Sports Direct founder, Mike Ashley, is being threatened with being found in contempt of parliament after failing to appear in front of MPs to give evidence about the retailer’s treatment of workers. The move follows a Guardian investigation in December that revealed thousands of temporary workers at Sports Direct warehouses were receiving hourly rates effectively below the minimum wage. In a strongly worded letter to the billionaire, Iain Wright, the chairman of the business, innovation and skills (BIS) committee, said: “A number of alternative dates have been offered to you by the committee clerk, but as yet you have not accepted any of them, nor agreed in principle to attend. As you will be aware, select committees do not normally need to have recourse to our formal powers to summon witnesses in order to secure attendance; refusal to attend without good reason may be considered a contempt of the house. “Should you fail in your reply to agree to attend on one of the dates offered to you, or a mutually convenient alternative before 1 June, the committee reserves the right to take the matter further, including seeking the support of the House of Commons in respect of any complaint of contempt.”