Sir Philip Green tells MPs to ‘go and tackle Carillion’

Green has written to Field to fire the latest shots in a bitter public spat, which was sparked by the demise of BHS – formerly a part of Green’s high street empire.

The billionaire said it was time to “avoid another public spat” and added: “Why don’t we call a truce. You say it is not personal, it could not be more personal. Go and tackle Carillion or someone else. I think 18 months later everyone is bored with this story.”

Green’s written riposte came after Field, the chair of the Work and Pensions Committee, said last month that the tycoon had “got away with murder” over the failure of BHS.

The department store business collapsed in April 2016 with a £571m black hole in its pension scheme.

Green sold the business to Retail Acquisitions – a consortium fronted by three-times bankrupt Dominic Chappell – the previous year, but later agreed to pay £363m to plug the collapsed chain’s pensions deficit.

Field has since sought assurances from Green over the pension scheme at what remains of the Arcadia group, including Topshop, Miss Selfridge, Dorothy Perkins and Burton.

Arcadia agreed plans last year to double its pension contributions to £50m per year.

Green has denied claims that he is lining up a sale of Arcadia, after emails seen by The Sunday Times suggested he has tasked HSBC with finding a buyer.

But Green’s most recent letter to Field added: “If the company is sold, there are pension obligations and there is a process that they will need to adhere to should that arise.”