Clues

4-across – Right page and right for the churchman : RECTOR

6-across – Polish? That’s what I am! : SMOOTHIE

9-across – Water pipe : HOOKAH

10-across – Most of barrow lad upset – in a pet, possibly? : LABRADOR

11-across – Recount aria performed anew – an expression of denial? : AUCONTRAIRE

15-across – One mailing letters about pound being inadequate : SLENDER

17-across – Trouble in globe is common : IGNOBLE

18-across – Means of lighting possessed by the super-rich? : MONEYTOBURN

22-across – Develop opera house in summer in Europe : ESCALATE

23-across – Keep the piece : CASTLE

24-across – Horse training to dip in tangled reeds : DRESSAGE

25-across – Musician in quiet band : PLAYER

1-down – The party chief’s field of knowledge : DOMAIN

2-down – Warmth mainly in the centre of power : AMIABILITY

3-down – Points once made by Wilson : FOURTEEN

4-down – Tries in a short dance to prepare for performance : REHEARSE

5-down – Note short time taken in decorative work : CROTCHET

7-down – Obscure old land measure : HIDE

8-down – Currency? Ex officio, the City is included : EURO

12-down – King in aggro to become settled. Ready for it? : RARINGTOGO

13-down – Skilfully holds breach when river goes unexpectedly : ABRUPTLY

14-down – Animal to control rising grass : REINDEER

16-down – Dismantle wreck : DEMOLISH

19-down – Expert for boat without a bow : ORACLE

20-down – People first do the repair : MEND

21-down – An area of sacred ground : ACRE

5-across – A Labour leader takes many shares out : ALLOTS

6-across – Pained expression when taken in by French article that’s disreputable : LOUCHE

9-across – Porn is circulating in jail : PRISON

10-across – Men circumnavigating 504 islands : MALDIVES

11-across – Stocking filler for a little beast : CALF

12-across – Cotton sari crumpled in drawer : CARTOONIST

13-across – Row for a change about Conservative leader : ALTERCATION

18-across – Source of article in part of France : PROVENANCE

21-across – Almost regretting destruction : RUIN

22-across – Tea and pieces of pitta bread : CHAPATTI

23-across – Vaulting ambition involves a piece of gamesmanship : GAMBIT

24-across – Undiluted sound in passage : STRAIT

25-across – First-class men required as spies : AGENTS

1-down – Composer with bad flu is perfectly happy : BLISSFUL

2-down – Without stress, add one hundred to one hundred : ATONIC

3-down – Do one’s best to be objective with yobbo : GOALLOUT

4-down – Director’s call for fighting : ACTION

5-down – A broken rib and a gashed head? This should prevent that : AIRBAG

7-down – The majority of Stevenson’s letters are all the same : EVENSO

8-down – Recipe mania may be the source of a popular song : AMERICANPIE

14-down – A German saint and a German physicist : EINSTEIN

15-down – In custody pending trial, one man died protecting ringleader : ONREMAND

16-down – Members of a priestly class drop in to see a composer : BRAHMS

17-down – Neil is drunk and stays in bed : LIEINS

19-down – Queen surrounded by brass snakes : VIPERS

20-down – Pledge oneself to come into battle : ENGAGE

1-across – Grand picture of parents carrying girl … : PANORAMA

5-across – … she is the second child : ISABEL

9-across – Engaged in action, a fool returns in dressing : LITIGANT

10-across – Moor with an unfinished set of notes : ANCHOR

11-across – Turning and spinning around from one giddy extreme to the other : GYRATORY

12-across – Offensive antipodean girl confiscated arms, as may be : AKIMBO

14-across – Criminal mover holding back orchestra : SHOPLIFTER

18-across – Encore Mahler’s first: Unfinished composer’s about to have eye trouble : STRABISMUS

22-across – Fletcher’s customer featured in soap? : ARCHER

23-across – Stimulate growth, even in jar : GENERATE

24-across – 15 downs shouldn’t be so coarse : GRITTY

25-across – Walk over winning jockey’s performance? : BESTRIDE

26-across – Fasten colour in ranks : TIERED

27-across – Silver in heavenly ornament : ASTRAGAL

1-down – Humour and acidity preceding stage manager’s debut : PHLEGM

2-down – Running water, after turning brown, becomes a green issue : NATURE

3-down – Claims to have turned up mercury in prison : RIGHTS

4-down – One of the King’s men shaking 10 in the haze : MONARCHIST

6-down – Good man receiving no introduction to Larkin’s foul language : SANSKRIT

7-down – Hard book – Hebrews? – about biblical beast : BEHEMOTH

8-down – Fat pig entered and left : LARBOARD

13-down – Single operations given up – futile : SPOUSELESS

15-down – Comestible goods in the east of France : ESCARGOT

16-down – Do something, being in charge of normal behaviour : PRACTICE

17-down – Poet, born out of time, who’s in the wrong place : ABSENTEE

19-down – Go off right, pursuing clown : FESTER

20-down – Blanching stakes : PALING

21-down – Release information about meat : REVEAL

1-across – Show resentment? Not a bit! : BRIDLE

5-across – Catalogue banned at the last minute : TABULATE

9-across – Forget how to take charge : OVERLOOK

10-across – Girl ill-disposed to a Scot : LILIAN

11-across – Sum up the charge : COUNTTHECOST

13-across – A shade depressed : BLUE

14-across – You’re out of spirits when he leaves : EXORCIST

17-across – Springtime, when women may propose : LEAPYEAR

18-across – Go for a jog, taking wrong turn : TROT

20-across – The key to a high state of readiness? : CONCERTPITCH

23-across – Make great effort in race : STRAIN

24-across – It comes in to fight on the other side : OPPOSITE

25-across – We are shortly getting a pack animal of legendary reputation : WEREWOLF

26-across – It holds the lead throughout : PENCIL

2-down – Wandered over casually : ROVE

3-down – Yet such things don’t cost the earth : DIRTCHEAP

4-down – Book a flight : EXODUS

5-down – Reveal what offers kept a reserve : TAKETHEWRAPSOFF

6-down – Note eye-catching gadget for pruning : BILLHOOK

7-down – Shrub I ring up about : LILAC

8-down – Soldering irons start making electronic device : TRANSISTOR

12-down – It’s sad, but courage is needed as a policeman : BLUEBOTTLE

15-down – Understands and wins popularity : CATCHESON

16-down – Attack damages marionette, losing extremities : TEARINTO

19-down – Accelerate promotion : STEPUP

21-down – Engrave a hunting scene? : CHASE

22-down – A case of pin and needles : ETUI

9-across – Blairite alternative to one year abroad about the spring of 1984? : ORWELLIAN

10-across – Lack of protest makes one grow black : NEGRO

11-across – Weapon with drink at side of top deck : GUNWALE

12-across – Free Trade comes – Blair left party : LIBERAL

13-across – Glasgow saint brings one back to church : ENOCH

14-across – Churchy-sounding ointment partially baked with chips? : BASILICON

16-across – Going to the country? Let Greenline coach drop companion off : GENERALELECTION

19-across – See 12 : DEMOCRATS

21-across – This French student went to Salisbury : CECIL

22-across – See 6 : STEROID

23-across – Speaking at 16 was formerly a 12 ______ : ORATORY

24-across – Number reported by 21 across beady follower : MILLE

25-across – Always fresh work for engineers in flat : EVERGREEN

1-down – Daddy could make great strides as a fieldsman – ged it? : LONGLEGGED

2-down – Direction in colour to have associate abroad : TWINTOWN

3-down – Potter initially to remove colour : BLEACH

4-down – See 22 : HIRE

5-down – Villainous relative slain – clues available : UNCLESILAS

6-down – Said to be cross about a supporter that’s kept in charge of drug : ANABOLIC

7-down – Mushroom and some rice on cooker? : AGARIC

8-down – Head 16 : POLL

14-down – Steer nibble around ground with dug-up flowerpots : BILLANDBEN

15-down – Hen as commonly reported on page producing eggs out of team captain? : NONPLAYING

17-down – Nemesis at the ready? : RECKONER

18-down – Sitting pretty, including 23 down : INCLOVER

20-down – Religious person eating last of porridge hasn’t finished breakfast : MUESLI

21-down – New bowler after sixth tackle? Charlie and George upset vicar : CHANGE

22-down – Plant on cliff producing porridge on lease : SAMP

23-down – See 21 : OVER