It’s Jason’s turn to bring us the FT’s monthly news-themed puzzle. Find it to solve online or download and print at ft.com/crossword
A number of clues in this month’s topical puzzle reference the big themes in UK politics this month – Andy Burnham taking his seat in the Commons and Keir Starmer announcing his resignation. Could the two events somehow be linked? The other big story has been the extreme heatwave across the UK and Europe, which also makes an appearance here. I’ll leave it to solvers to pick over other current affairs references in the comments.
Jason always provides an enjoyable solve and this was no exception. Thanks, Jason!
Definitions are underlined in the clues below.
| ACROSS | ||
| 1 | NOBODY |
Who lacks authority after denial departs embraced by lad (6)
|
| NO (denial), after which comes D (departs) embraced by BOY (lad) | ||
| 4 | BLACKOUT |
Deficiency in fight? Close internet access (8)
|
| LACK (deficiency) in BOUT (fight) | ||
| 10 | RE-ENTER |
Letter about energy? Come again (2-5)
|
| RENTER (letter) about E (energy) | ||
| 11 | SEMINAR |
Group engaged in discussion remains compromised (7)
|
| Anagram (compromised) of REMAINS | ||
| 12 | ALLY |
Power taken from close friend (4)
|
| P (power) taken from PALLY (close) | ||
| 13 | FACE TO FACE |
Opposite view concerning expert (4,2,4)
|
| FACET (view) + OF (concerning) + ACE (expert) | ||
| 16 | DECENT |
Respectable and refined chap, good going for last month (6)
|
| [g]ENT (refined chap), G (good) replaced with (going for) DEC (last month) | ||
| 17 | WEATHER |
Brave article about display? No, the opposite (7)
|
| THE (article) about WEAR (display) – no, the opposite (ie WEAR about THE) | ||
| 20 | WIN OVER |
Get the better of wicket during a spell of bowling (3,4)
|
| W (wicket) + IN (during) + OVER (a spell of bowling) | ||
| 21 | SNIFFY |
Contemptuous leaders of some nationals, close to dodgy (6)
|
| First letters (leaders) of Some Nationals close to IFFY (dodgy) | ||
| 24 | CONCENTRIC |
Having common focus most cite concern in a fresh way (10)
|
| Anagram (in a fresh way) of MOST CITE CONCERN | ||
| 25 | HEWS |
Cuts she arranged restricting what gets wealth started (4)
|
| Anagram (arranged) of SHE containing (restricting) the first letter (what gets … started) of Wealth | ||
| 27 | SHABANA |
Minister is quiet ahead of a restriction on answer (7)
|
| SH (quiet) ahead of A + BAN (restriction) on A (answer)Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood | ||
| 29 | IONISER |
One promoting celebrity will ignore line, this clears the air (7)
|
| [L]IONISER (one promoting celebrity) ignoring L (line) | ||
| 30 | PRATTLER |
Train head of party first — one tends to ramble (8)
|
| RATTLER (train), first letter (head) of Party firstRattler is an American term for a freight train | ||
| 31 | TENNIS |
Game in court is flipping wrong, clear (6)
|
| Reversal (flipping) of SIN (wrong) + NET (clear) | ||
| DOWN | ||
| 1 | NORMANDY |
Wisdom perhaps died on unknown site of invasion (8)
|
| NORMAN (Wisdom, perhaps) + D (died) + Y (unknown)It was the anniversary of D-Day this month | ||
| 2 | BYE-ELECTION |
This could be rigged once by elite (3-8)
|
| Anagram (rigged) of ONCE BY ELITEAndy Burnham notably won the parliamentary seat of Ashton in Makerfield this month | ||
| 3 | DUTY |
Starmer’s first to avoid old-fashioned service (4)
|
| First letter of Starmer omitted from (avoids) DU[s]TY (old-fashioned) | ||
| 5 | LISTENED |
Heard agenda on new need (8)
|
| LIST (agenda) on an anagram (new) of NEED | ||
| 6 | COMPOSTING |
Making a source of growth from appointment in future (10)
|
| POST (appointment) in COMING (future) | ||
| 7 | OWN |
Have top slot removed from community (3)
|
| [t]OWN (community) with first letter (top slot) removed | ||
| 8 | TORIES |
Riots spreading involving English party members (6)
|
| Anagram (spreading) of RIOTS involving E (English) | ||
| 9 | BROAD |
Burnham’s lead and approach is obvious (5)
|
| First letter (lead) of Burnham + ROAD (approach) | ||
| 14 | AGE OF REASON |
Enlightenment from mutinous era with no thought primarily (3,2,6)
|
| AGE OF [t]REASON (mutinous era) less the first letter (primarily) of Thought | ||
| 15 | INTOLERANT |
Prejudiced being hot on the French bombast (10)
|
| INTO (hot on) + LE (the French) + RANT (bombast) | ||
| 18 | HEATWAVE |
We’ve a hat arranged for this (8)
|
| Anagram (arranged) of WE’VE A HAT | ||
| 19 | EYESORES |
Ugly things? Last of these right over residence (8)
|
| Last [letter] of thesE + YES (right) + O (over) + RES (residence) | ||
| 22 | ACTS UP |
Society, united in treaty when pressure’s dropped, breaks down (4,2)
|
| S (society) + U (united) in PACT (treaty) when P (pressure) is moved to the end (dropped) | ||
| 23 | VIGIL |
Watch as old poet runs away (5)
|
| VI[r]GIL (old poet) taking away R (runs) | ||
| 26 | KNEE |
One’s unduly keen to be bent (4)
|
| Anagram (bent) of KEEN | ||
| 28 | A LA |
Done like some actual anarchists (1,2)
|
| Some [letters from] actuAL Anarchists |