Daily Answers

7-across – Something toxic with Plaid Cymru, and Liz Trussed? : MERCURY

8-across – Country dispensing with old Conservative PM? : CAMERON

9-across – Fossil fuel, Rishi’s confessed addiction : COKE

10-across – Looking to the left, further thought surely vital : SPRIGHTLY

12-across – Mean Conservative, shabby, premier to go? : CATTY

13-across – Needing regeneration, Reeves leading the way – it’s most brutal : SEVEREST

15-across – Party seeking Independence Day to wrap up a kind of election : SNAP

16-across – Horrifying thing not having capital for nurse : CARER

17-across – Foot in door with pained expression, might one be slated? : ROOF

18-across – Politician snarky in speech? : MORDAUNT

20-across – Shower elected, given keys to number ten : INDEX

21-across – On two wings, Tories and DUP labouring : DIPTEROUS

22-across – Trench dug, yah boo sucks! : HAHA

24-across – Leader befitting in marked man? : CAPTAIN

25-across – Count endless data on card after opening of ballot : BINFACE

1-down – Currency in Europe’s obsolete : PESO

2-down – Party held in check, closer? : SCREWTOP

3-down – Very exciting tomorrow, something Rishi deprived of? : FRISKY

4-down – Tomorrow’s headache, Matt? Member gone and Michael too – Labour’s back! : HANGOVER

5-down – What things can only get for Rishi’s campaign official? : BETTER

6-down – Rishi, say, tax-cutting leader of Opposition? : TORY

11-down – Reform tries to react, sending those coming in away – certainly not my cup of tea! : RISTRETTO

12-down – 6 party, flat : CONDO

14-down – Knack lost by leader on the hustings – tribal language? : SIOUX

16-down – Offensive plugging wind – what’s the alternative? : CRUDEOIL

17-down – Astronomical effect in swing towards Labour? : REDSHIFT

19-down – Rayner’s moral responsibility with record investment? : DEPUTY

20-down – Brainwash, throwing up a little corporal: it’s Nigel! : INSTIL

21-down – When party leader took eve off? : DDAY

23-down – Debt: remove lid from jar : HOCK

1-across – Camp entertainer is an old soldier : REDCOAT

5-across – Rage at seducer, a bloodsucker : VAMPIRE

10-across – Band shortening housework : HOOP

11-across – How to secure a little garlic? : CLOVEHITCH

12-across – Arouse reader : KINDLE

13-across – Stranded across lake, turned white : BLEACHED

14-across – Buzz off, dude – head off for bliss : BEATITUDE

16-across – Secret police in almost unmoving position : STASI

17-across – Nasty mark on end of toe is a big worry : SCARE

19-across – Can enter amazing year, a notable one : CENTENARY

23-across – One struggling to recall a cinema’s collapse : AMNESIAC

24-across – Countenance decline in struggle : VISAGE

26-across – Man that’s simple and safe as a disciple : SIMONPETER

27-across – Attack drawer with papers : RAID

28-across – Mockingly say led inside, returning stripped : SNIDELY

29-across – Rage can break out, leading to mass slaughter : CARNAGE

2-down – Flipping heavy book: Vulcan’s expressing feelings : EMOTIVE

3-down – He takes a bow, promoted in police department : CUPID

4-down – Very old canine tooth’s first to disintegrate : ANCIENT

6-down – A uniform required for exam? : ALEVEL

7-down – Noble not turning up for university : PRINCETON

8-down – Chirpy types heading off youthful disease : RICKETS

9-down – Site of imperial palaces in Bedford, remarkably big town : FORBIDDENCITY

15-down – Being aggressively smashed in Hull? : TORPEDOED

18-down – Victor avoiding hot pink flower : CAMPION

20-down – Pub, a place for souvlaki and retsina? : TAVERNA

21-down – Dishonestly manipulating tackle : RIGGING

22-down – I’d raised short magic formula to cause disappearance : DISPEL

25-down – Father with new alluring woman : SIREN

1-across – Crooner cradles very, very young chick on bended knee : BEGGING

5-across – Farmer detailing bearer of small vegetarian gifts? : PEASANT

9-across – Jelly equally good with custard or cream, originally : ASPIC

10-across – Point thrown out? : NORTHWEST

11-across – Sudden twists due, next bandaging muscle : UNEXPECTED

12-across – Charge speechifying Liz’s fella, commonly? : FILL

14-across – A tramp I trained, inspired by old fellow, qualified : COMPARATIVE

18-across – Tolerate mug : COUNTENANCE

21-across – A bit screwed back, now enabled again : ANEW

22-across – Strike in Asia, case of those in Pakistani city not finishing work : KARATECHOP

25-across – Unbending line bending when given little jerk : INELASTIC

26-across – Firing mechanism on gun initially for pistol : GLOCK

27-across – Laid-back figure, one chilled surfer! : NETIZEN

28-across – News items though hot replaced by the papers? : TIDINGS

1-down – Loss of nude confronts that Spanish cubist : BRAQUE

2-down – Animal heard with a song, to be reasonable? : GOPHER

3-down – Weakness shown by patriarchal seat of old empire? : INCAPACITY

4-down – Adding to visage nicely, referring to make-up? : GENIC

5-down – China or Chile on the outside breaking clear : PORCELAIN

6-down – Long facial hair, bald on top : ACHE

7-down – Little taste in an elephant’s tusks, might you say? : APERITIF

8-down – Transported cases fully made : TOTALLED

13-down – Got trousers on? Lie! One lacking – if so? : BARELEGGED

15-down – Piece covering biscuit – bourbon might be in it : MANHATTAN

16-down – Cold and calculating people in on event : OCCASION

17-down – Adventure tours always most odd : QUEEREST

19-down – Alas, I lament losing leader of a US state : OHIOAN

20-down – Laces in shoes : SPIKES

23-down – Vacuous aimless function in meeting place? : ASCOT

24-down – Holiday notes for business : JAZZ

1-across – Revolutionary soldiers with guns, repelling city police : RADICAL

5-across – Something huge in women’s cricket? : WHOPPER

9-across – Character overshadowing book gets cut : TBONE

10-across – Worn-out bear for the most part, very attractive : MOTHEATEN

11-across – Rye port is working to protect old warehouse : REPOSITORY

12-across – Somewhat user-friendly one is bound to work : SERF

14-across – Be opportunistic – Ted Talk’s introduction’s enthralling as long as the man’s hiding brightness : MAKEHAYWHILE

18-across – See 14 : THESUNSHINES

21-across – Whistleblower taking on European bank : REEF

22-across – Astounding – this writer’s not actively resisting having made a case for resistance! : IMPRESSIVE

25-across – Electronic signal getting gangster moving : EMOTIONAL

26-across – Newspaper discovered hairdressers maybe starting to get off the ground : ALOFT

27-across – Keeper probably very near the batsman – losing focus in a boisterous way : NOISILY

28-across – Sanitise driver’s competition, taking motorway out during second half of race : CLEANSE

1-down – On the subject of act making comeback : RETURN

2-down – Hanging ordinary work in flat : DROOPY

3-down – One looks sweet in dashing Cuban heels : CHELSEABUN

4-down – Check retired multimillionaire’s imprisoned : LIMIT

5-down – Confusing extra wait for harbour transport? : WATERTAXI

6-down – Occasionally seeing couple in public : OPEN

7-down – Feeble old man the jerk pursued … : PATHETIC

8-down – … pursued quickly – one delivering a tirade inspires a following : RANAFTER

13-down – Row 9 potentially called in lottery? : SWEEPSTAKE

15-down – A walk in the park means a healthy 1 down without much exertion : EASYMONEY

16-down – Swimmer’s temperature taken by ship’s doctor : STURGEON

17-down – Climbing records cycling club could be topping : PEPERONI

19-down – Deny 1 down’s contrived : DISOWN

20-down – Finally Madness chose It Must Be Love for Chesterfield, say : SETTEE

23-down – Church assuming priest remains : RELIC

24-down – Caribbean location’s housing provided internet connection : WIFI

1-across – Drop is put into drink : DISOWN

4-across – Oxygen-fuelled lifting device found after little time – not long? : TWOINCH

9-across – Gentleman sent back in exchange for lawyer : BARRISTER

10-across – Excitable, somewhat touchy perhaps : HYPER

11-across – See 28 : TABLE

12-across – Cook tries open sandwich : INTERPOSE

13-across – It becomes more peaceful for wild animals : DINGOES

15-across – Hands down back of settee, a number of items not quite retrieved, unknown quantity : EASILY

17-across – Leader in Russian preserved by a paper, still : ATREST

19-across – A cruciverbalist residing in Split given new identity : RENAMED

22-across – Travelling in car, thunderous – if so, what’s up? : RAINCLOUD

24-across – Bump on the rear sounded – little accident : PRANG

26-across – Hunter with shaved head, one might be bald : EAGLE

27-across – Shame miserable clothing is being worn by husband : DISHONOUR

28-across – Corner insert fit for pocketed item? : SNOOKER

29-across – Balance at the limits having sex on your bike! : BEATIT

1-down – Section in contract withdrawn : DEBITED

2-down – Remove untidy vegetation : SCRUB

3-down – See 14 : WRITEHOME

4-down – Insolence shown after performance: Congress let it go : TURNTHE

5-down – See 4 : OTHER

6-down – Short investigation into fruit served up for a piece of cake : NOPROBLEM

7-down – String runs through pipes : HORSES

8-down – *one* flight : STAIRS

14-down – Average postcard unnecessary then? : NOTHINGTO

16-down – Cock-up over character without children : SINEPROLE

18-down – As requested, 19 down pulled up? : TOORDER

19-down – Edible plant, a food under review, originally : RADISH

20-down – Follow communist, gentle pace : DOGTROT

21-down – Pants, where fire breaks out in lying? : BRIEFS

23-down – See 4 : CHEEK

25-down – See 14 : ABOUT