1-across – Be ready to do nothing : STANDBY

5-across – Get rid of unwanted drug that’s been released : WEEDOUT

10-across – Groom initially coy on meeting bride : COMB

11-across – Alternative for meek lady lacking a traditional cure : FOLKREMEDY

12-across – Special language giving information on freezing : POLARI

13-across – Exemption allows compiler to admit being weak about it : IMPUNITY

14-across – I can see GP bothered by gesture seeking no conflict : PEACESIGN

16-across – Clues given to Yard, wasted : TIPSY

17-across – Mad liberal conceals stuff that’s not prepared : ADLIB

19-across – Rough up Nigel for example : MANHANDLE

23-across – Great story about earth I told in instalments : EPISODIC

24-across – River group gets rejected, having eaten meat : THAMES

26-across – Dylan moved around in river boat mostly : BYANDLARGE

27-across – Little appreciation for one who is late : OBIT

28-across – Work space sketched out, eliminating carbon : THEDESK

29-across – Put on in accordance with procedure : PERFORM

2-down – Broadcast raised in volume when showing traditional sexual arrangement : TWOSOME

3-down – Parvenu biased somewhat against part of Africa : NUBIA

4-down – Experts unavailable during scraps : BOFFINS

6-down – Money annually applied to create satellite : EUROPA

7-down – Extent of US currency getting acknowledgement in reports : DIMENSION

8-down – Meets potential lover following happy news : UPDATES

9-down – Buffoons regularly see them : FLYINGSAUCERS

15-down – Organised crime don’s looking embarrassed : CRIMSONED

18-down – Drop extremely tacky church artwork : DIPTYCH

20-down – Welcome success in this place? : HITHERE

21-down – More wary about strange linkage between both sides : LEERIER

22-down – Shambles when wife’s abandoned puzzles : ADDLES

25-down – Sale room offer is essentially disdainful : ALOOF

1-across – Cosmetic treatments deal with bags : FACEPACKS

6-across – One played music in independent school : IPOD

10-across – Frenchman and wife to start again : RENEW

11-across – Live TV: he is playing with one musician … : BEETHOVEN

12-across – … one wild rock singer at the start takes top off : UNCORKS

13-across – Hill backing Red Bull’s sporting rivals? : TOREROS

14-across – Perhaps Miss Whiplash with this leader getting chains? : HEADRESTRAINT

17-across – Clever surgery that’s barely legal : SHARPPRACTICE

21-across – Places for refreshment collecting empty retsina bottles : CARAFES

22-across – Agent making viewers stream Zoom chat? : TEARGAS

24-across – Stress too much on the subject of government : OVERSTATE

25-across – Loincloth with organ visible in the middle : LUNGI

26-across – Place to meet European : SITE

27-across – Reaching climax after old lover, model : EXTENDING

1-down – Unsociable hours mainly? Face getting sacked : FAROUCHE

2-down – Do I see curve : CONIC

3-down – Pressure on one in debt: snap quickly in early meeting : POWERBREAKFAST

4-down – Copper twice arrests street artists : CUBISTS

5-down – Top one working hard? : SWEATER

7-down – Switch to ITV: a rap singer appears : PAVAROTTI

8-down – One tucking into food with pastry : DANISH

9-down – The Tramp thread is short: idiot bloke appears first : CHARLIECHAPLIN

15-down – Able to suck in stomach muscles? Angled to attract men : ABSORBENT

16-down – Dieting to mind figure, ultimately? Hardly! : FEASTING

18-down – Standard time for delivery : POSTAGE

19-down – Turn back on deal, mostly : RETREAT

20-down – Not like this clue? One getting angry : ACROSS

23-down – Information is for bottled spirits? : GENII

8-across – Spanish PM goes to loo : MAJORCAN

9-across – A lingering quality, nothing harsh : ODOUR

10-across – Beat dog, no pet : WHIP

11-across – Slog brings big defeat – Edgbaston’s beginning a demonstration : ROUTEMARCH

12-across – Calm pupil, outwardly sharp : PLACID

14-across – To acquire gadget, small daughter sucked up : SIPHONED

15-across – In all honesty, be inquisitive about article of passing interest : PROBITY

17-across – Two legs treading the boards : ONSTAGE

20-across – Top actor fights for media franchise : STARWARS

22-across – Thin volume agreed, to a certain extent : MEAGRE

23-across – Son writes in notebook where to get his meds : DISPENSARY

24-across – Spy showing restraint : BOND

25-across – She may run a service vehicle after 6 : VICAR

26-across – University tires me out – I leave as this? : EMERITUS

1-down – An educated person, to a certain degree … : BACHELOR

2-down – Well, out of bed for liquid lunch perhaps : SOUP

3-down – Won points, so made the cut : SCORED

4-down – During search, one may need a jury : INQUEST

5-down – Plain menu shop prepared : HOMESPUN

6-down – New York families that keep up a dreadful racket : COSANOSTRA

7-down – Prophecy of old, deceptively clear? : ORACLE

13-down – Rebecca is involved with spy, nothing physical in it : CYBERSPACE

16-down – What may be afoot in coaches : TRAINERS

18-down – Bloomer may come to ruin game : GERANIUM

19-down – One freed oneself, having stuck head in three-quarters : ESCAPEE

21-down – That is Victor in the nick : THIEVE

22-down – PM on edge in extreme disorder : MAYHEM

24-down – Army officer contracted for ship : BRIG

1-across – Promotes good new cut mushrooms : CHAMPIONS

6-across – Actor lady occasionally aloof : COLD

8-across – Diary regularly written to illuminate − it’s as clear as this, so they say : DAYLIGHT

9-across – Crustacean is given old shell : ISOPOD

10-across – Maria’s half-cousin at last receives note identifying bird : MARTIN

11-across – One avoiding a slide – none risk slipping : NONSKIER

12-across – Great price essentially for duck? : FABRIC

15-across – Point at which layabout without name becomes rogue : SWINDLER

16-across – Where deer might have roamed according to an old English geologist : BUCKLAND

19-across – Drawing to side : TOWING

21-across – British channel rower ignored fellow US poet : BERRYMAN

22-across – Hold exercises, resulting in old complaint : GRIPPE

24-across – Part of backward African country receiving nothing : REGION

25-across – Perhaps Swiss roll, a pure one : EUROPEAN

26-across – Impress leaders of health club’s training ensemble after retirement : ETCH

27-across – Cowboys managed goodbyes ignoring expletives and insults at first : RANCHEROS

1-down – Schumann originally composed like a romantic artist : CLARA

2-down – Football’s tarzans include outstanding players like this : ALLSTAR

3-down – God introducing short break for heathen : PAGAN

4-down – Picnics maybe forbidden in empty gardens : OUTINGS

5-down – Insects, it could be who studies them : SCIENTIST

6-down – Noticed but left bent cans : CLOCKED

7-down – Lack of control, run into toilet and appear briefly cool : LOOSEREIN

13-down – A goddess above people with time for laughter : AMUSEMENT

14-down – Relaxed nice moral person working in gallery : COALMINER

17-down – Old city enthralled by king’s meal: tongue : KURDISH

18-down – Horse, for example, going around working prison : DUNGEON

20-down – Show how his performance gets a sigh : WHISPER

22-down – Stomach upset, right? : GIRTH

23-down – Place votes for shows : PLAYS

1-across – 21, islander branded with mark of failure? : BRIXTON

5-across – Gossip old PM cut short on voting system : PRATTLE

9-across – Only diaspora where outsiders lost in old kingdom : LYDIA

10-across – 21, suit-wearing sailor in khazi : CALABOOSE

11-across – 21’s valuation of staff? : WANDSWORTH

12-across – Belt out – repeatedly for 21? : SING

14-across – 21’s suspicious behaviour : STRANGEWAYS

18-across – 21, 21 left chained by violent criminal : PENTONVILLE

21-across – Pocket or collar? : NICK

22-across – Pain clear, case of hooligan off getting treatment : FRENCHLOAF

25-across – Drilling, say, I tear into rocks : ITERATION

26-across – Crack like that as it happens, one having split : SOLVE

27-across – Pipe like mother installed in her ruin? : GASMAIN

28-across – Permanent nurse picking flower : TENURED

1-down – Rules with leg before wicket, say, under review : BYLAWS

2-down – Element in God having broken that is : IODINE

3-down – Radio star on, stir crazy : TRANSISTOR

4-down – I see 21 served up some Mexican food : NACHO

5-down – Having various keys in pockets initially, only a lot for a screw? : POLYTONAL

6-down – Some retrogressive yob’s accolade? : ASBO

7-down – Hot resin I left, tipped over : TROPICAL

8-down – Fire, new work unit is in essence gutted : ENERGISE

13-down – Evidently painful climbing in heels on stumbling in Alpine kit : LEDERHOSEN

15-down – Lapse relating to account : REVERSION

16-down – Stretch, and man gets punishment : SPANKING

17-down – Legs welcoming pants, most intimately – those? : KNICKERS

19-down – Ice in jug? : COOLER

20-down – Sin absent before arrest : OFFEND

23-down – Group able to swim freely? : NONET

24-down – A convict up for party : GALA