Across:
8 It concerns gap in statement perhaps (LACUNA) by the foreign (the = LA-) copper (-CU-) leading new (leading ‘New’ = -N-) agency (-A) (LACUNA),
9 Crucial (crucial = CIRCULA-) play (= anagram indicator) with right (-R) (CIRCULAR) message for wider distribution (CIRCULAR),
10 Turns around (= reversal indicator) in circular orbit (in ‘circuLAR Orbit’ = laro = ORAL), in a manner of speaking (ORAL).
11 Commercial (INDUSTRIAL) for flower (INDUS- river/flower) pest (-TRIAL) (INDUSTRIAL),
12 Change over (SWITCH) casing for Swiss watch (casing for ‘SWIss waTCH’ = SWITCH).
14 Cuts some (cuts some) slack (= anagram indicator) (cuts some = COSTUMES) for the outfits (COSTUMES),
15 Gossip (TALK-) from journalist (-ED) – popular (IN) posers (RIDDLES) (TALKED IN RIDDLES) muddied the waters, in a manner of speaking (TALKED IN RIDDLES),
18 Does a job (DELIVERS) designing (= anagram indicator) red veils (red veils = DELIVERS),
20 Tapes (VIDEOS) racer coming off service road (‘racer’ coming off ‘service road’ = seviod = VIDEOS),
22 Edward’s pies (Edward’s pies) distributed (= anagram indicator) (Edward’s pies = WIDESPREAD) everywhere (WIDESPREAD),
24 No wind in New Delhi (no ‘wind’ in ‘New Delhi’ = eelh = HEEL) or down the bottom of Italy perhaps (HEEL of Italy),
25 Wine (-PORT) route (PASS-) opens (= positional indicator) (PASSPORT) for those prepared to go overseas (PASSPORT),
26 Quote (REPEAT) from Echo? (REPEAT).
Down:
1 Frenchman (Monsieur = M-) on DART (dart = -ARROW) (MARROW) coming from the vegetable shop (MARROW),
2 Religious edict (BULL) found in Istanbul library (BULL found in ‘IstanBUL Library’),
3 Cast out (BANISHED) and looked for mackerel, for instance (fished), starting off (f) (‘fished’ without ‘f’ = -ISHED) behind (= position indicator) bar (BAN-) (BANISHED),
4 Drug (ACID) to medicate characters (‘meDICAte’ characters = dica) cut back? (= reversal indicator) (dica = ACID),
5 Keen (cry) briefly (y) (‘cry’ without ‘y’ = CR-) on goddess (-ISIS = Egyptian goddess of fertility) (CRISIS) from The Emergency (CRISIS),
6 Dour nurse (dour nurse) working (= anagram indicator) (dour nurse = SURROUNDE-) for department (-D) (SURROUNDED) is besieged by her enemies (SURROUNDED),
7 Armani pink tops (‘Armani Pink’ tops = -AP-) tucked into distressed (= anagram indicator) jeans (jeans = J-ANES-) at the last minute (the last ‘minutE’ = -E) (JAPANESE), in a manner of speaking (JAPANESE),
13 Put your feet up (TAKE IT EASY) and don’t say no (TAKE IT) to a piece of cake (EASY) (TAKE IT EASY),
14 Diverting the traffic off the motorway (CONES) holding up those cold, icy types (CONES),
16 A person from New England (AMERICAN) in a Cream (in a cream = AMERICAN) hit (= anagram indicator),
17 They occupy (INVADERS) those who see The Border as something that can be overcome (INVADERS),
19 Make use of (EMPLOY) foreign (= anagram indicator) mole (mole = EM-LO-) over pressure (-P-) from Yard (-Y) (EMPLOY),
21 Approaches missing chap (‘approaches’ missing ‘chap’ = aproes = OPERAS) for the divas (OPERAS),
23 Puts away (EATS) a Scot from East Coast (‘a Scot’ from ‘East Coast’ = etas = EATS),
24 What you’d expect to get in a casino (chips) starting off (c) (‘chips’ without ‘c’ = HIPS) or joints that swing? (HIPS).