This crossword No. 26456 clues and answers were published on Wed 31 Dec 2014 and the puzzle can be visited by following The Guardian Cryptic Crossword No. 26456 link.
All Across Clues and Answers:
9-across – A politician’s memory? Put freely, it’s makeshift : IMPROMPTU
10-across – Fabric sale! 50% off money : SATIN
11-across – See wings of shrike in prize photograph : CLOSEUP
12-across – Support for scrabble letters : TRESTLE
13-across – Siren’s fuse? : VAMP
14-across – Colour sports brochure covers books … : BURNTOCHRE
15-across – … on doing exercise : RUNNING
17-across – In the year 2000, 599 entered Open University for a bit : MODICUM
19-across – Getting off scary giant ride takes a little bit of nerve : DETRAINING
22-across – Curse and blast without ever ending : DARN
23-across – Lead, helium and iron compounds on Earth : HEROINE
24-across – Coverage of space alien : BLANKET
26-across – Country relocates area to middle of mountain range : CHAIN
27-across – Heavy holds back New York gangster about the throat : LARYNGEAL
All Down Clues and Answers:
1-down – Board move found US credit note : DISCOVEREDCHECK
2-down – After father retires, Abramovich welcomes new or old worker : APRONMAN
3-down – Nothing left in explosive crater : HOLE
4-down – Top trophies gaining publicity before gun shot was invented : UPSPRUNG
5-down – Formula 1 driver just going above 100 : BUTTON
6-down – Universal rock star raves, injects drug — love getting unconscious? : ASTEROID
7-down – It’s about time! Around an hour is a pain : STITCH
8-down – Vaguely dine out, finish and leave your tips : INDETERMINATELY
16-down – Europeans exalting escargot at first : ITALIANS
17-down – Coolers designed to hold a small criminal? : MINIBARS
18-down – Clerk can bake biscuit : CRACKNEL
20-down – In bath, reading yarn : THREAD
21-down – Point, point, point, point then led all over the place : NEEDLE
25-down – Relative to visit repeatedly after hotel checkout : AUNT
This crossword has in total 28 where 14 are across and 14 are down.