History will not view Sir Philip Green kindly, and that is right

His public image has been damaged, mostly by himself, but there are plenty of others like him, they’re just not as loud, writes Chris Blackhurst

Green’s unpopularity was entirely deserved and self-inflicted (Reuters)

Sir Philip Green is in the Maldives this year. Time was when he would always go to Sandy Lane on Barbados for Christmas and the New Year – and without fail he would give me a call.

Once, he rang to inquire what the weather was like in the UK. He knew, of course. Dreadful, I said. I was fully aware, too, what was coming next – how it was 30-odd degrees where he was, the sea was beautiful, everything was just great.

I guess this year he won’t be phoning. Neither, too, have I received my hamper. It’s actually been several years since I’ve had one of those. When he owned BHS, he would send round a box containing the chain’s products, with a bottle of non-BHS champagne and a handwritten note on top: “Behave”.