For personal reasons I had to try to solve this in a hurry, and nearly succeeded… special thanks to mc_rapper67 for some support!
I’m afraid that I am still rather busy; that, along with being nearly stranded in London last night due to train issues meant I almost ran out of time for completing and blogging this. After an earlier couple of quick goes and a few going in, I managed to fill most of the grid except, inexplicably, for 18a and 19d. Luckily our esteemed mc_rapper67 was able and willing to assist, so many thanks to him for that.
Thanks also and as ever to Cyclops for the puzzle.
Across
| 8 | UNSEATED | Not fully satisfied about Farage finally thrown out of parliament? (8) UNSATED (not fully satisfied) about E (Farage finally). |
| 9 | GOBLET | Overturned toilet – hindrance or aid to the drinker? (6) GOB (bog i.e. toilet, overturned) + LET (hindrance). |
| 11/12 | CRASS STUPIDITY | What many of Trump’s actions amount to? US districts pay off (5) Anagram (off) of US DISTRICTS PAY. |
| 13 | AUDITORIA | One making financial checks on inept, asinine leaders’ conference venues? (9) AUDITOR (one making financial checks) + I[nept] + A[sinine]. |
| 14 | CANON | Law of prison taking negative turn (5) CAN (prison) + ON (no i.e. negative turn[ed]). |
| 15 | SERIOUS | Drug-taking senior with debts that will lead to grave (7) A charade of SER, an insertion (taking) of E (drug) inside SR (senior) + IOUS (debts). |
| 18 | SOLVENT | Merger of the Sun and Express, which some might sniff at (7) SOL (Sun) + VENT (Express). |
| 21 | INDIE | Music‘s accepted decline? (5) IN (accepted) + DIE (decline). |
| 23 | INCAPABLE | Pissed sailor snuggles into awfully nice lap (9) An envelope (snuggles into) of AB (able bodied i.e. sailor) inside INCAPLE, an anagram (awfully) of NICE LAP. |
| 26/27 | CORPORATE IMAGE | Nasty ICE operator impounds a periodical – which multinationals try to present in a good light (9) An envelope of MAG (periodical) inside CORPORATEIE, an anagram (nasty) of ICE OPERATOR. |
| 28 | MOSLEY | See 2d. |
| 29 | PEPERONI | “Hot stuff” Penny grabbed by Lords member, perversely in love (8) A charade of PEPER, an envelope (grabbed by) of P[enny] inside PEER (Lords member), plus ONI – IN + O (love), perversely. An unusual (to me at least) spelling of one of my favourite spicy pizza toppings, valid per Chambers, from the plural of the Italian for bell peppers. |
Down
| 1 | OUTCLASS | Best unfashionable educational unit (8) OUT (unfashionable) + CLASS (educational unit). Definition/solution as a verb. |
| 2/28a | OSWALD | Lawless, moody, stupid old fascist (6) Anagram (stupid) of LAWLESS MOODY. |
| 3 | FALSETTO | “FAKE, EXCESSIVE, BACKWARD” is rather shrill (8) FALSE (excessive) + TTO (OTT, ‘over the top’/excessive, backward). |
| 4 | TEASER | One who winds up getting arse thrashed after the election starts (6) T[he] E[lection] + ASER (anagram/thrashed of ARSE). |
| 5 | ZODIAC | Old banger’s heavenly belt (6) Double definition. It took me ages to remember the car, unsurprisingly as they’d been discontinued for a while before I was born. |
| 6 | ALLIANCE | Coalition parties’ leaderless flirtation (8) [D]ALLIANCE (flirtation). |
| 7 | STAYIN | To adhere to lockdown rules, possibly is to shatter sanity! (4,2) Anagram (shatter) of SANITY. |
| 10 | HUMANS | People causing stink with abrupt response (6) HUM (stink) + ANS (abbreviation/abrupt ‘response’). |
| 16 | REDCROSS | Furious-looking, mad wartime medics (3,5) RED (furious-looking) + CROSS (mad). |
| 17 | SPIRAL | Wicked Paris with large behind, producing wind (6) Anagram (wicked) of PARIS + L[arge]. Definition & solution as verbs again. |
| 19 | LOPSIDED | Spoiled duke screwed off balance (8) Anagram (screwed) of D (Duke) and SPOILED. |
| 20 | THEMEDIA | Subject: “Aid rejected” – slated by Trump (3,5) THEME (subject) + DIA (Aid, rejected/reversed). |
| 21 | INCOME | Revenue generated by hot orgasm (6) IN (hot) + COME (orgasm). |
| 22 | EXOCET | It can hit ships once round about eastern end of strait (6) EX (once, as in ex-girlfriend) + O (round) + C (about) + E[eastern] + strai[T], for the type of anti-ship cruise missile. |
| 24 | CLEVER | Chlorine always makes you smart (6) CL (chemical symbol for Chlorine) + EVER (always). |
| 25 | BEACON | Live with a Tory? Danger alert! (6) BE (live) + A + CON (Tory). |