Across:
8 A fair amount of (half of) fat (half of 'LArd' = -LA-) in flipping (= reversal indicator) rice (rice = EC-IR) (ECLAIR) cake (ECLAIR),
9 Clip (e) of Jack – up (jack up = elevate) (‘elevate’ without ‘e’ = ELEVAT-) from Ring (-O-) getting never-ending (‘neveR’ ending = -R) (ELEVATOR) lift (ELEVATOR),
10 Smart Alec misses alert (‘smart alec’ misses ‘alert’ = smac = SCAM) of fraud (SCAM),
11 Former (EX-) coppers (pence = -P-ENCE) holding back (= reverse indicator) anger (ire = -ERI-) (EXPERIENCE) out of knowledge of prior events (EXPERIENCE),
12 Bar (BAN-) for the golfers (Golfing Union of Ireland = -GUI) (BANGUI) in African capital (capital of the Central African Republic = BANGUI),
14 They’re bound to learn (SCHOLARS) of choral (-CHOLAR-) medley (= anagram indicator) in ship (SS = S-S) (SCHOLARS),
15 Freud’s analysis (FREE ASSOCIATION) of Frank (frank/open = FREE) Bond (ASSOCIATION) (FREE ASSOCIATION),
18 Made life difficult (BOTHERED) for that man (-HE-) taken in by unstable (= anagram indicator) debtor (debtor = BOT-RED) (BOTHERED)
20 Journalist (-ED) after (= position indicator) trial (TEST-) (TESTED) did a fact check (TESTED),
22 The doctor’s standing in the community (REPUTATION) is upsetting (= anagram indicator) our patient (our patient = REPUTATION),
24 Among idiosyncrasies acknowledged (among ‘idiosyncrasieS ACKnowledged’ = SACK) in fire (fire/dismiss = SACK),
25 Tempestuous (WILD-) female (-F-) is a wise old bird (-OWL) (WILDFOWL) and game (WILDFOWL),
26 Adam (ELDEST) and Ray from steelyard (‘Ray’ from ‘steelyard’ = steeld = ELDEST).
Down:
1 A (A-) heartless (i) organisation of spies (CIA) ('CIA' without 'I' = -CA-) contacting agent's (-CIA) (ACACIA) plant (ACACIA),
2 False alarm for the bank’s (‘FAlse alaRM’ for the banks = FARM) stockholder (FARM),
3 15 across, from the start (‘free association’ from the start = FREE-), is (is) raising (= reverse indicator) (is = -SI-) a (-A-) small (-S) (FREESIAS) number of fragrant flowers (FREESIAS),
4 Piece of scrap metal (piece of ‘scraP METal’ = pmet) raised (= reverse indicator) (pmet = TEMP) from sub (TEMP),
5 Last of the order (last of ‘ordeR’ = -R-) collected by life partner (‘life and death’ = DEA-TH) (DEARTH) leads to acute shortage (DEARTH),
6 Posed (SAT-) by lake (-L-) surrounded by influential groups (elites = -E-LITES) (SATELLITES) – those depending on bigger states (SATELLITES),
7 Show (CONCERT-) love (-O) (CONCERTO) for musical composition (CONCERTO),
13 Type of squirrels (GREY- squirrels), badgers (badgers/pesters = -HOUNDS) (GREYHOUNDS) and dogs (GREYHOUNDS),
14 Reprimand (SCOLD) for bringing up (= reverse indicator) documents (docs = SCO-D) about Labour Leader (‘Labour’ leader/first letter = -L-) (SCOLD),
16 Herod is a (Herod is a) criminal (= anagram indicator) (Herod is a = RHODESIA) in old part of Africa (RHODESIA),
17 Popular (IN-) tenor (-T-) finished (-ENDED) (INTENDED) with fiancée (INTENDED),
19 Briefly (d) study (‘read’ without ‘d’ = REA-) one of the issues (issue/offspring = -SON) (REASON) with some common sense (REASON),
21 Caught (-C-) in Essex (Essex) shifting (= anagram indicator) (Essex = EX-ESS) (EXCESS) leftovers (EXCESS),
23 Dislikes despatching kids (‘dislikes’ ditching ‘kids’ = iles = ISLE) to Capri, for example (ISLE of Capri),
24 Envisaged getting rid of vegan (‘envisaged’ getting rid of ‘vegan’ = ised = SIDE) dish to go with main course (SIDE).