Across:
8 Fly over (flyover = BRIDGE) groom’s companion (BRID-E) around midnight (mid ‘niGht’ = -G-) (BRIDGE),
9 Without saying much, suggested (IMPLICIT) one (I-) foreign politician (-MP-) is obeying the law (-LICIT) (IMPLICIT),
10 Hates leaving sunbather (‘hates’ leaving ‘sunbather’ = unbr = BURN) to soak up too much of the sun (BURN),
11 What you might have to do for a general employer (TAKE ORDERS from a general employer/army) to become a father? (to become a father/priest / take holy orders / TAKE ORDERS),
12 Fanatical type (ADDICT) of Baghdad dictator involved in cover-up (‘baghdAD DICTator’ involved in cover-up = ADDICT),
14 No way (FORGET IT) to soldier on (FORGE-) with little singer (tit = -T IT) (FORGET IT),
15 Irreversibly ruin relationships (BURN ONE’S BRIDGES) with 10 across (‘burn’ = BURN) and individuals (ones = ONE’S) from 8 across (‘bridge’ = BRIDGE-) on starting salary (starting ‘Salary’ = -S) (BURN ONE’S BRIDGES),
18 Misreads (misreads) criminal (= anagram indicator) (misreads = SIDE ARMS) from Swords, perhaps (SIDE ARMS),
20 Knocked for six (STRUCK) by recipe (-R-) in jam (ST-UCK) (STRUCK),
22 Hairy (= anagram indicator) aphid (aphid = DIAPH-) has a (-A-) practical intelligence (-NOUS) (DIAPHANOUS) that’s fine in a material sense (fine/light fabric = DIAPHANOUS),
24 Take care of (MIND) lads from Midlands (‘lads’ from ‘Midlands’ = mind = MIND),
25 Gun dog (retriever) with no tail (r) (‘retriever’ without ‘r’ = RETRIEVE) gets to fetch (RETRIEVE),
26 Directives (ORDERS) for those at the end of 11 across (end of ‘take orders’ = ORDERS).
Down:
1 Had words with (ARGUED) busy (= anagram indicator) guard (guard = ARGU-D) over drugs (-E-) (ARGUED),
2 Carted out of the dead centre (‘carted’ out of the ‘dead centre’ = eden = EDEN) of paradise (EDEN),
3 10,8,6,4,2,1,3,5,7,9,10 (TEN TO TEN) = 950? (9.50 = TEN TO TEN),
4 A strip of porous material (WICK) in wild hollyhock borders (in ‘WIld hollyhoCK’ borders WICK),
5 All hell broke loose (UPROAR), as there’s no metal in plate armour (there’s no ‘metal’ in ‘plate armour’ = parour = UPROAR),
6 Is conscious of the thought process (MIND READER) giving 24 across (‘mind’ = MIND) a job in the university (READER) (MIND READER),
7 Headache (MIGRAINE) for Frenchman (Monsieur = M-) travelling (= anagram indicator) Nigeria (Nigeria = -IGRAINE) (MIGRAINE),
13 Those behind bars (INNKEEPERS) do what’s in 11 across (INNKEEPERS ‘take orders’),
14 Stops taking in feed (FASTS) live from festivals (‘live’ from ‘festivals’ = fstas = FASTS),
16 Takes advantage of (UTILISES) teachers’ union (Teachers Union of Ireland = TUI = UTI-) confused (= anagram indicator) by lies (lies = -LISE-) about school (-S-) (UTILISES),
17 Member of the Resistance (resister) vocal (= homophone indicator) (‘resister’ = ‘RESISTOR’) on the circuit (RESISTOR / device with resistance to electric current),
19 Finishes 6 down (finishes ‘mind reader’ = READER) with a page-turner (READER),
21 Shed tears (cry = C-RY) over answer (-A-) and article (an) reviewed (= homophone indicator) (an = -NA-) (CANARY) by Tweeter (CANARY),
23 Individuals (ONES) and deaths not recorded on headstones (‘deaths’ not recorded on ‘headstones’ = ones = ONES),
24 Created (MADE) the extremes of the Marquis de Sade (the extremes of the ‘MArquis de SaDE = MADE).