Clues

1-across – Man keeps on in charge with victory on satellite TV – perhaps, yes, I can now milk a scandal : MONICALEWINSKY

9-across – Capital halved for the farm, extending some time into the future : LONGRANGE

10-across – A bee’s purpose: to carry the gold back : DRONE

11-across – Send off team’s inside half? : EXILE

12-across – Sluice that perhaps forced out a president : WATERGATE

13-across – Weapon turned on a politician of little value : NUGATORY

14-across – Nothing left in morose Hobbit character : GOLLUM

17-across – Bun baked, or not initially, like the one in the oven? : UNBORN

19-across – All fingers and thumbs collecting snake eggs, a small amount in the kitchen : TEASPOON

22-across – Denial of responsibility avoids law being broken : DISAVOWAL

24-across – Cut fruit : PRUNE

25-across – Hillock discovered after initial sex change? : MOUND

26-across – Welsh minister with a sin drove off the rails? : RONDAVIES

27-across – Neglected issue in the 1 across affair : CHELSEACLINTON

1-down – Was 8’s thing the result of l-lemon due in MMI? : MILLENNIUMDOME

2-down – … then grandad’s the Queen in China! : NANKING

3-down – Egyptologist eating swan and chips : CARPENTER

4-down – Plant grown wild in Luton not functioning : LUNGWORT

5-down – Laid to show war heartless and death a non-starter : WREATH

6-down – Dare in strip lifting Irish bottom : NADIR

7-down – Clever clogs is King of Berlin since 1989? : KNOWALL

8-down – MP entered loans foolishly? : PETERMANDELSON

15-down – Tubes replacing spaghetti with hoops instead of squares : OESOPHAGI

16-down – Greek Hades, horribly nice : HELLENIC

18-down – Medicinal element turning stomach in senior clergyman, missing work : BISMUTH

20-down – Eye expert implanting one into boss-eyed locust : OCULIST

21-down – First shot of rally holds point with bend on ball : SWERVE

23-down – Gore has valid application : VIDAL

1-across – It’s said to produce a smile : CHEESE

4-across – Investments frame-up exposes people to ridicule : STOCKS

9-across – Completes games of bowls : ENDS

10-across – Actors are prepared to appear in it : MAKEUPROOM

11-across – Craft project : LAUNCH

12-across – Fruit with coverings – they’re bananas : NUTCASES

13-across – Courses for craftsmen : WATERWAYS

15-across – Block and tackle? : STOP

16-across – Handy aid to warmth : MUFF

17-across – In which to plant bulbs? : LIGHTSOIL

21-across – Bird of ill omen to an old criminal? : BLACKCAP

22-across – Commercial break cut off : ADRIFT

24-across – Instantly, but not there and then : HEREANDNOW

25-across – Where barristers get refreshers? : INNS

26-across – Draw, perhaps, ten of diamonds : ENTICE

27-across – A man’s calling for Australian port : SYDNEY

1-down – Choral work can go on so long : CANTATA

2-down – Where Westphalians may go to eat in Germany : ESSEN

3-down – Possibly show me love in one way or another : SOMEHOW

5-down – Responsible for a convict getting privileges : TRUSTY

6-down – Quixotic writer never acts in play : CERVANTES

7-down – Expressed one’s views – loudly? : SPOKEUP

8-down – Taking the plunge when not suited for it : SKINNYDIPPING

14-down – In effect, I turn out to be capable : EFFICIENT

16-down – Man having to admit set-up is kind of cross : MALTESE

18-down – Principal method of progress : HEADWAY

19-down – One’s childhood in one’s imagination : INFANCY

20-down – Such a railway may make a fair profit : SCENIC

23-down – Put a curb round gelding’s head and get control : REIGN

1-across – A privet : PRIVATE

5-across – Free Democrat returning abuse : DELIVER

9-across – Subpolar dance? : LIMBO

10-across – Happy brushing up our arts : RAPTUROUS

11-across – Bird pierced frontally by arrow? : REDBREAST

12-across – Object which made Muriel content : DEMUR

13-across – What the City expects when dealing with Names : MEANS

15-across – Mike and Beryl involved in diamond centre : KIMBERLEY

18-across – Great name for the Earl of Tunis : ALEXANDER

19-across – Dave’s change kept for rainy day : SAVED

21-across – The horse was spurred on by it : ROWEL

23-across – Madcap! You ______ , said Laurel : FOOLHARDY

25-across – Lean dog is playing close by : ALONGSIDE

26-across – Type of capital? : ROMAN

27-across – Vessel, part of which Captain Bligh terrorised : LIGHTER

28-across – Medication for a rough diamond : LOZENGE

1-down – Traveller who ended up in Mass? : PILGRIM

2-down – Direct current : IMMEDIATE

3-down – Loved one in the Glamour Girls : AMOUR

4-down – Set aside for tagged cattle? : EARMARKED

5-down – Transfer seedling to the garden warehouse? : DEPOT

6-down – She could deal with dirty linen and slander us : LAUNDRESS

7-down – Noise in garage speaks of more velocity in reverse : VROOM

8-down – Jaguar’s new coat? : RESPRAY

14-down – Lead solution sparkling in the dark : STARLIGHT

16-down – Leo With Two Rams hewn out of marble : MARMOREAL

17-down – Are they irritable when dressed alike? : LIVERYMEN

18-down – Messages from on high? : AIRMAIL

20-down – Poet embracing the old and respected lady : DOYENNE

22-down – Tort! I make way for man in wig : WRONG

23-down – One whose begging is in order? : FRIAR

24-down – Unit of frequency is painful to the ear : HERTZ

9-across – Passenger-carrying flight : ESCALATOR

10-across – A look of being indifferent : ALOOF

11-across – Jeered at performance after free admission : DERIDED

12-across – Cleaner who expects to get money without working : SPONGER

13-across – Samuel’s teacher takes note of top class : ELITE

14-across – Those on it will need dough : BREADLINE

16-across – Film the yacht’s departure? : GONEWITHTHEWIND

19-across – Predators moved to show signs of distress : TEARDROPS

21-across – Tree for a small enclosure : ASPEN

22-across – Carriage axle bush, for instance : BEARING

23-across – Travel service’s express policy : AIRLINE

24-across – It enables one to turn one’s hand to many things : WRIST

25-across – Call of the sea? : AHOYTHERE

1-down – Isn’t livestock sold by it? : DEADWEIGHT

2-down – Creature most dangerous when it turns tail : SCORPION

3-down – Take it, if you mean to stay dry : PLEDGE

4-down – Boss of Animal Farm, say : STUD

5-down – Possible customer goes to America for brochure : PROSPECTUS

6-down – What many a simpleton may do when courting : CANOODLE

7-down – Literary orphan who was accepted as a wolf cub : MOWGLI

8-down – A service rise that makes one well off : AFAR

14-down – Shorts designed for hill climbing? : BOTTOMGEAR

15-down – Put in a difficult position when a tip gave offence : ENDANGERED

17-down – Tie down a formation in attack : WADEINTO

18-down – MP’s excuse for absence is weakened : IMPAIRED

20-down – In song, sailor lands far away : ARABIA

21-down – Put in charge at the lemonade factory? : AERATE

22-down – Tart for the table, we hear : BAWD

23-down – People go crazy running it : AMOK

1-across – Spy scattering clues in very small quantities : MOLECULES

6-across – Palmerston on southern food : SPAM

10-across – Sounds like the downfall of rule : REIGN

11-across – Angry on account of bird? : CROSSBILL

12-across – Place for hamster training : AMHERST

13-across – Shorn animal having to cut back on fat : POLLARD

14-across – What to expect from ecclesiastical tennis player? : DIVINESERVICE

17-across – Prepared firm to proceed with racial orders? : READYSTEADYGO

21-across – Ship that operates below the surface? : COLLIER

22-across – Riveting term for trophy lid, perhaps : CUPHEAD

24-across – Fabulous green lady apparition : LEGENDARY

25-across – Block found in Roman villa : ANVIL

26-across – Point to the unruly son of Adam : SETH

27-across – Half a day to construct a drain for one-stamened plants : MONANDRIA

1-down – Sea creatures that may well disarm me : MERMAIDS

2-down – Where the French hit out : LEITH

3-down – Clashes arising from study on abbreviated French notations, perhaps? : CONFRONTATIONS

4-down – Finds cat in sole possession, perhaps : LOCATES

5-down – Defender who may get it in the neck : STOPPER

7-down – Trip round museum and cathedral in secret? : PRIVATELY

8-down – To a degree, a female illness : MALADY

9-down – Is a plan to be duplicated? Obviously! : ASPLAINASPLAIN

15-down – Extremely feeble flare? : VERYLIGHT

16-down – Blimey! Female cook’s a king’s daughter : CORDELIA

18-down – CID weapon found on board ship : YARDARM

19-down – Puzzling chat by youth leader on fast particle : TACHYON

20-down – Music with piscatorial associations : SCALES

23-down – Some novel version of young fish : ELVER