Wednesday newspaper round-up: defence spending, LSEG, Sports Direct

2nd Sep 2026 07:21

(Sharecast News) - The chancellor, John Healey, must be prepared to raise taxes for middle earners if he wants to fund significantly higher defence spending, the Resolution Foundation thinktank has said. Healey resigned from Keir Starmer's government in June, protesting against what he argued was the then prime minister's failure to adequately fund defence. - Guardian

The architect of the UK government's AI strategy has joined the US startup Anthropic in a senior role a year after stepping down from his Downing Street post. Matt Clifford, a successful tech investor, was appointed as AI opportunities adviser by Keir Starmer last year but resigned from the unpaid role six months later for personal reasons. Clifford is moving to Anthropic as managing director, international affairs, and will lead the company's engagement with governments outside the US including in the UK, Europe, Asia-Pacific and India. - Guardian

The London Stock Exchange (LSE) is turning to the technology behind cryptocurrencies in an attempt to revive the ailing market. The LSE has unveiled a partnership with Payward, the owner of the crypto firm Kraken, to launch tokenised stocks on its own exchange. The tokens will be listed on the company's new round-the-clock service LSE 24, which will allow overnight trading on weekdays. - Telegraph

Sky has accused the TV producer behind The Great British Bake Off of double-counting costs in an escalating legal row about the hit show. Letty Kavanagh, the former managing director of Love Productions, has launched a claim against Sky in the employment tribunal, alleging that the broadcaster drew up misleading financial accounts and then fired her when she blew the whistle. - Telegraph

The owner of Sports Direct has said it will contest a decision by Britain's advertising regulator to ban an advert that used price comparisons to promote a women's Puma top. In a statement, Frasers Group described the Advertising Standards Authority ruling, published on Wednesday, as "fundamentally wrong" and argued that the regulator's approach to so-called retail recommended prices (RRPs) was "out of touch" and dated. - The Times