Daily Answers

1-across – To overcome Labour, Conservative turned blue : COBALT

4-across – Reportedly mean birds : POULTRY

9-across – Weak tea? Never brew Darjeeling to begin with! : ENERVATED

10-across – Opportunity follows the debut of Basil Brush : BROOM

11-across – 500 join in tour round royal house : TUDOR

12-across – America’s main problem? Moving into action : ANIMATION

13-across – Ponders complicated answer : RESPOND

15-across – Cigar ignited over top of light bulb : GARLIC

17-across – Beamed Scotty initially a long way down : SMILED

19-across – Old Liberals accept national : WHINGES

22-across – Man stole diamonds in the East Midlands : LEICESTER

24-across – Cook delivers off-break : BAKER

26-across – A dash of orange liqueur or spirit? : ANGEL

27-across – Gap: Everything Must Go! : CLEARANCE

28-across – Bit of evidence Piers M. shredded for large organisations : EMPIRES

29-across – Admiral’s sole upset is in the news : NELSON

1-down – City street to shout about : CHESTER

2-down – 3 sitcom produced by 24 : BREAD

3-down – Royal fund backs rise of corrupt City : LIVERPOOL

4-down – Sweet prince is promising bachelor no more : PUDDING

5-down – Yummy barman regularly seen in shadow : UMBRA

6-down – Is using more than one stopwatch cheating? : TWOTIMING

7-down – Arabian soldiers first pursue the old : YEMENI

8-down – Two ways to describe article or piece : STRAND

14-down – Review of doing 1 + 2 + 3? : SUMMINGUP

16-down – Give back pound from mouldy mulberries : REIMBURSE

18-down – Bear up and manage etc, before society notices : DETECTS

19-down – Struggle about new maze : WARREN

20-down – Scottish minister no longer has temperature, doctor : SURGEON

21-down – Chelsea fan also rioting on Tyneside : SLOANE

23-down – Mathematician keeps things working smoothly, they say : EULER

25-down – Rulers engagements attract not a single word of disapproval : KINGS

9-across – Number feel concern about cut : CARVE

10-across – Clout, say : INFLUENCE

11-across – Public declaration in the show ring : MANIFESTO

12-across – Switch lit up bulb : TULIP

13-across – One who throws out a bad cheque : BOUNCER

15-across – A bad-tempered pet : TANTRUM

17-across – Stop, or pass on : COLON

18-across – Pea jacket? : POD

20-across – Tree in a small enclosure : ASPEN

22-across – Writes down memoranda at the centre : NOTATES

25-across – Wind resulting from unsettled weather : WREATHE

26-across – One of two up for approval : THUMB

27-across – Current increase in rent — and it’s rising again : RESURGENT

30-across – It will prove ownership of river in named setting : TITLEDEED

31-across – Major eastern state : MAINE

1-down – Put up rainwear in a swindle : SCAM

2-down – Still managed to snuggle into quilt, when drunk : TRANQUIL

3-down – The knot sailors try to avoid : REEF

4-down – Advertise sportswear for those taking the air : AIRSTRIP

5-down – Middleman to offer new shares for sale, so not going under : AFLOAT

6-down – Man takes court action, hoping judge will be this : JUSTINCASE

7-down – Head branch rental adjusted : ANTLER

8-down – Little quiet cry : WEEP

13-down – Meat company included in embargo : BACON

14-down – Firm taken in by swindles gets the police : CONSTABLES

16-down – Names changed to accommodate the minister : MANSE

19-down – Not the best situation for a county team : DOWNSIDE

21-down – Sad passage — quote coming up : PATHETIC

23-down – Teases the non-male members of the family : TAUNTS

24-down – Cycle chain? : SERIES

26-down – It’s on course to work for the better : TOTE

28-down – It’s a swindle to put a penny on farm butter : RAMP

29-down – Some seem quite empty, or just the opposite : TEEM

1-across – Went for private piece by author that is not printed : JOINEDUPWRITING

9-across – Replaced gold vessel filled with English fruit : ROSEHIP

10-across – Devilish traditions appeal : IMPLORE

11-across – Very large note : SOL

12-across – Goalie turns out to make the rules : REGULATIONS

13-across – An available sum in foreign money no use here? : LANCASHIRE

15-across – Join the main mass : SEAM

18-across – Story young girl lisped : MYTH

20-across – Divorced, eh? Good news for one in for the long term : FREEPARDON

23-across – Elegantly decadent discovery: unnamed licensee has been sacked : FINDESIECLE

25-across – Charge less than the whole meal allowance : FEE

26-across – Ancient European expelled from a Victorian city : AGELONG

27-across – A daughter in French port finally off? Not so fast! : ANDANTE

28-across – Farm animals doing less well — a blow in expensive area : STOCKBROKERBELT

1-down – City judge putting line through revoked law : JERUSALEM

2-down – Sugar controller’s rude remark cut short: it starts again : INSULIN

3-down – Airy, last to believe what actually exists? : ETHEREAL

4-down – Release record, Savanna Herd Rounded Up : UNPEG

5-down – Trail grew doubtful, however magnified : WRITLARGE

6-down – Charge one: being unable to speak, keeping quiet : IMPUTE

7-down – Imogen’s confession of alcoholism, in one of several forms : ISOTOPE

8-down – Argues strenuously, displaying poor judgment : GUESS

14-down – Not unknown for prince to hold drinking bout — a sign of the future? : HARBINGER

16-down – One way to get team something in a pie : MINCEMEAT

17-down – Pike played by him — a victory, when reeled into the bank : LAVENDER

19-down – Cross with bell regularly interrupting dance : TANGELO

21-down – Ministry to abolish border posts? : DEFENCE

22-down – Be about to visit castle, having to change tickets : REBOOK

23-down – Saying a few words, starts to come apart : FRAYS

24-down – Decipher joke : CRACK

1-across – Small wound up carpet unravels : PAPERCUT

5-across – Probationer with a month to kill : NOVICE

9-across – Caught several out preparing joints with these : CLEAVERS

10-across – Sound effect always found in R&B : REVERB

12-across – State radio led with NHS reforms : RHODEISLAND

15-across – Woman left loud bar : SHELF

17-across – Impressive thing about iron-backed fasteners : REEFKNOTS

18-across – One working in hospital uniform given sweet substance : UROLOGIST

19-across – Sing at the top of one’s range? : YODEL

20-across – Pit queen against king for the title of hearty eater : TRENCHERMAN

24-across – Relaxed after a pick-me-up : ATONIC

25-across – Return to club across narrow valley, carrying a heavy load : BURDENED

26-across – Popular holiday destination involving a particular activity : THEMED

27-across – Provides rating for a ship before winding turns : ASSESSES

1-down – Literary type charges Kindle outside : PICARESQUE

2-down – Only women admitted into mobile phone event : PHENOMENON

3-down – Show survey to the audience : REVUE

4-down – Disorder precipitated when controls removed : UNRESTRAINED

6-down – Fine to repeat old clue about diamonds : OKEYDOKEY

7-down – Fancy a fish first? : IDEA

8-down – Spielberg’s part for Hamburg banker : ELBE

11-down – Star spotters report reveals incorporation of US video system : TALENTSCOUTS

13-down – Relishes crunching second mint : CONDIMENTS

14-down – Litter mounts up after English Proms : ESPLANADES

16-down – Be first to compound effect of exposure : FROSTBITE

21-down – Nurse given money owed to invest with : ENDUE

22-down – See 23 : CAST

23-down – Links warning to players’ prediction : FORE

1-across – Declared a vicar initially made a mistake : AVERRED

5-across – Live with pretension? Succeeded, what’s more! : BESIDES

9-across – Student stuffing litter in suit : CLUBS

10-across – Classical female with attorney going round capital city : ANDROMEDA

11-across – The Guardian gets Albert a decoration : PAPERCHAIN

12-across – Greek leader in evil warning : SIGN

14-across – Token role for opposite number : COUNTERPART

18-across – Oscar’s current department makes peace offering : OLIVEBRANCH

21-across – Misrepresented a song : LIED

22-across – Ends with experience from near disaster : CLOSESHAVE

25-across – Embezzler to clear up mess : PECULATOR

26-across – Right type to meet English poet : RILKE

27-across – Became apparent Spain’s united : EMERGED

28-across – Head about to permit a range of colours : PALETTE

1-down – Welcome law restricting fungal growth : ACCEPT

2-down – Sally breaks into east European racing team : EQUIPE

3-down – Trot round tough quarter in secret : RESTRICTED

4-down – Doctor hated curtains : DEATH

5-down – Baron amazingly dominant in sport : BADMINTON

6-down – Prevent vessels capsizing : STOP

7-down – Longs for Republicans’ key hymn : DIESIRAE

8-down – Eats up insect’s inside merely to exist : STAGNATE

13-down – Ark Royal included in exam that’s instrumental : ORCHESTRAL

15-down – Renault upset journalist? That’s beside the point! : UNRELATED

16-down – Officer’s mistake leads to failure : COLLAPSE

17-down – Telegram about marine initially confounded smart alec : WISEACRE

19-down – Rechabite keeps efficient computer : TABLET

20-down – Look up to American patriot : REVERE

23-down – Break up a fight : SCRAP

24-down – Page gets to pull a cork : PLUG