Chancellor Philip Hammond said he would not stay in his job when the country’s next prime minister takes over next week, and he would do everything he could to stop a no-deal Brexit.

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Sports Direct was forced to delay the publication of full-year results after auditors refused to sign off on the retailer’s latest accounts, dealing a blow to Mike Ashley’s assault on the UK high street.

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Audit watchdog the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) has proposed more stringent ethical rules requiring firms to be independent from their clients following a series of high-profile accounting controversies at UK companies, including BHS and Carillion.