Across:
8 Take a long look (GAZE-) for best offer (best offer = -BO) (GAZEBO) for summerhouse (GAZEBO),
9 Consumer (user) loses the head (u)(‘user’ loses ‘u’ = SER-) with bad habits (-VICES) (SERVICES) of the masses (SERVICES),
10 To follow orders (OBEY), G-man leaves moneybag (‘G-man’ leaves ‘ moneybag’ = oeyb = OBEY),
11 Express criticism of leader’s (‘Express Criticism Of’ leaders = ECO-) schemes (-SYSTEMS) (ECOSYSTEMS) in complex communities (ECOSYSTEMS),
12 Let off the hook (EXEMPT) by former partner (EX-) and is mostly (y) unoccupied (‘empty’ without ‘y’ = -EMPT) (EXEMPT),
14 Giant pud (giant pud) crumble (= anagram indicator) (giant pud = UPDATING) is refreshing (UPDATING),
15 Church ceremony (SERVICE) to cast a spell on (bewitch/enrapture = ENTRANCE) (SERVICE ENTRANCE) The Deliverer’s place (SERVICE ENTRANCE),
18 The SOS coming from Sherwood Forest (‘the SOS’ coming from ‘Sherwood Forest’ = rwodfore = FOREWORD) – the one I read in a book (FOREWORD),
20 Polish (polish/sheen = LUSTRE) novice (learner = L-) on street (-ST-) in old city (Ur = -U-R-) taking direction (East = -E) (LUSTRE),
22 Giving grounds for (JUSTIFYING) bear out (JUSTIFY-) in (-IN-) Greenland initially (‘Greenland’ initially = -G) (JUSTIFYING),
24 Part of the complexity (part of the “complEXITy” = EXIT) is way out (EXIT),
25 It’s similar to 24 across (ENTRANCE similar to ‘exit’) at The Gate (at the gate = ENTRANCE),
26 A (A-) time in Europe (Central European Time = -CET-) at Botticelli Centre (‘bottICelli’ centre = -IC) (ACETIC) might leave a sour taste in people’s mouths (ACETIC).
Down:
1 Protects Balmoral, for example (HATBOX protects Balmoral hat), from crazy (= anagram indicator) hoax (hoax = HA-OX) over infectious disease (-TB-) (HATBOX),
2 Wined and dined (fed) setting up (= reverse indicator) (fed = DEF-) Fourth of July (fourth of ‘julY’ = -Y) (DEFY) challenge (DEFY),
3 Trim (n) gangster (‘don’ without ‘n’ = DO-) with extreme problem (with extreme ‘probleM’ = -M-) cites (cites) convoluted (= anagram indicator) (cites = -ESTIC) (DOMESTIC) family row (DOMESTIC),
4 Pit dug out of topsoil (‘pit’ dug out of ‘topsoil’ = osol = OSLO) in European capital (OSLO),
5 Pleaded with the man upstairs (PRAYED) to remove Grant from Garden Party (remove ‘Grant’ from ‘Garden Party’ = depary = PRAYED),
6 They have a reputation for losing (DIETICIANS) to those advocating cuts (DIETICIANS),
7 Describes the English language (English is an Indo-European language called GERMANIC) in a manner of speaking (GERMAN-) at independent (-I-) college (-C) (GERMANIC),
13 Pictures (movies = MOVIE S-) sailors (-TARS) (MOVIE STARS) as role models perhaps playing big parts (MOVIE STARS),
14 First Picasso (first ‘Picasso” = -P-) in nude (nude) form? (= anagram indicator) (nude = U-END) (UPEND) Flip! (UPEND),
16 The foreign- (the = EL-) -edited (= anagram indicator) quote (quote = -OQUE-T) about Nationalist leader (‘Nationalist’ leader = -N-) (ELOQUENT) is persuasive, whatever you say (ELOQUENT),
17 Vehicle (T-RAM) carrying The Spanish (‘the’ Spanish = -EL-), for example (e.g. = -EG-) (TELEGRAM), in The Wire (TELEGRAM),
19 There is no orzo in frozen food (there is no ‘orzo’ in ‘frozen food’ = fenfod = OFFEND) to put out (OFFEND),
21 An Iris (an iris) variety (= anagram indicator) (an iris = RAISIN) with fruit that’s typically dried (RAISIN),
23 Leaderless (s) factions (‘sides’ without ‘s’ = IDES) in Rome warned about them (IDES of March warning to Caesar),
24 One holding water (EWER) bottle in microbrewery (bottle in ‘microbrEWERy’ = EWER).