ACROSS:
8 Any initial (any initial = -A-) new (= anagram indicator) clues (clues = CL-USE) going around (CLAUSE) – maybe you’d need to ask 21 down about this stipulation? (ask “lawyer” about stipulation / CLAUSE),
9 Faith (CATHOLIC), Tom (CAT-) and Clio (Clio = -OLIC) rebel (= anagram indicator) after (= position indicator) second thoughts (second thoughts = -H-) (CATHOLIC),
10 Some gallant supporters (some ‘gallant supporters’ = ANTS) from The Hill (ANTS),
11 24 down (“baby” = BABY -) is bodyguard (-MINDER) (BABY-MINDER) to mum-to-be perhaps (BABY-MINDER),
12 Rabies (rabies = SERBIA) problem (= anagram indicator) in the Balkans (SERBIA),
14 One of those in The Abbey (MONK-) cast (-FISH) (MONKFISH) is on a seafood diet (MONKFISH)
15 Type of hypocrisy applied to some people and not to others (DOUBLE STANDARDS) in Spitting Image? (DOUBLE) They need to be run up the flagpole! (STANDARDS /flags run up the flagpole) (DOUBLE STANDARDS),
18 Causes of death (GUNS-) at foreign university (Massachusetts Institute of Technology = -MIT-) hospital (-H) (GUNSMITH) responsible for the emergence of 2 down (GUNSMITH producer of “guns”),
20 Able to move (MOBILE) crowd (mob) briefly (b) (‘mob’ without ‘b’ = MO-) with nasty comments (-BILE) (MOBILE),
22 Form union (TIE THE KNOT) and sort out one of those in 24 across associated with shirty type (TIE THE KNOT of ‘bow’ – one of the “bows”),
24 Accepts defeat? (BOWS) Fiddlesticks! (violin BOWS),
25 He ain’t an (he aint an = ATHENIAN) unreliable (= anagram indicator) type living in Greece (ATHENIAN),
26 Characters assemble money (characters ‘assemble money’ = EMBLEM) for coat of arms (EMBLEM).
DOWN:
1 Take a quick look at (GLANCE) golf (G-) spike (-LANCE) (GLANCE),
2 Warm (snug = GUNS) review (= reversal indicator) of pieces (GUNS),
3 Film (MEMBRANE) member (member = MEMBR-E) broken up (= anagram indicator) over article (-AN-) (MEMBRANE),
4 Back (back) up (= reversal indicator) most of (k) (‘back’= ‘kcab’ without ‘k’ = -CAB) what’s on computer’s terminal (computers terminal = S-) (SCAB) with the piece covering the recent cuts (SCAB),
5 Runners (mats = STAM-) turn up (= reversal indicator) for point-to-point (east + north = E+N = -EN) (STAMEN) – one of them could be a bit of an early bloomer (STAMEN),
6 Letter of introduction opens (letter of introduction opens = LOI-) with denial (no = -N O-) from extreme (from extreme. = -F) sheepish type (LAMB) (LOIN OF LAMB) with joint (LOIN OF LAMB),
7 Doctor (= anagram indicator) declines (declines = LICENSED) to be authorised (LICENSED),
13 Starting 11 across (“baby-minder” = BABY-) with poseur (-SITTER) (BABYSITTER) temporarily works for mother (BABYSITTER),
14 Prospective wife (MATCH) from Derby? (sports MATCH between rival teams),
16 Old (old = O-) copper (copper = -CU-) keels over (-LISTS) (OCULISTS) looking for problems with those seeing things (OCULISTS),
17 It's not important (NO MATTER) why one can't see The Invisible Man (NO MATTER),
19 Stalin's henchman (Lavrentiy Beria = -BERIA) behind (= positional indicator) independent (I-) (IBERIA) European peninsula (IBERIA),
21 Women (-W-) in early (early = LA-YER) novel (= anagram indicator) (LAWYER) by court figure (LAWYER),
23 Those with their orders (NUNS) get away from Sten gun (‘get’ away from ‘Sten gun’ = snun = NUNS),
24 Newly arrived (BABY) troop evades booby trap ('troop' evades/ not in 'booby trap' = bbya = BABY).
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