Across
Public official in difficult position hiding love (7)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Fifteensquared have:
CORNER (difficult position, as in “get backed into a corner”), containing (hiding) O (zero = love, in tennis scoring).
For example award for knocking back alcoholic drink (6)
Brown more stupid to get rid of gold ultimately (5)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Fifteensquared have:
[d] UMBER (more stupid), without the D which is the last letter (ultimately) of [gol] D . The surface apparently refers to former UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown, who sold a large chunk of the country’s gold reserves while Chancellor of the Exchequer. Brown pigment derived from metal oxides.
Cash only put on the counter quietly to avoid banks being severe (9)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Fifteensquared have:
NO CARD (cash only) reversed (on the counter), then [p] IAN [o] (Italian-derived musical term meaning “quietly”) without the outer letters (banks). Harsh (as a description of regulations or punishments) = severe.
Instrument spinning a laboratory animal in astronomical experiment (9)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Fifteensquared have:
A + LAB (short for laboratory), reversed (spinning), then LAIKA (animal in astronomical experiment: a dog that travelled on the Soviet Union’s Sputnik 2 craft during early experiments in space flight). We have to separate the obvious “laboratory animal” to make this one work. Russian musical instrument, like a triangular three-stringed guitar.
Essentially Richard Tice corrupted moral principles (5)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Fifteensquared have:
Anagram (corrupted) of the middle letter (essentially) from [ric] H [ard] with TICE . For the surface, Richard Tice is a right-wing MP, whose moral principles I won’t comment on. The plural form “ethics” is more common, but for example “work ethic” = the principles governing someone’s attitude to their work.
Active local protester allowed to have terms removed (6)
Ask gentleman to swap pole (7)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Fifteensquared have:
E [s] QUIRE (title for a gentleman), with the S (South Pole) swapped for N (North Pole).
Unit is able to lead off (7)
Disinfect shore around lake (6)
Parking area for taxis possibly is a joke (5)
Colleague following blundering Tory leader Sunak mostly an easy target (9)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Fifteensquared have:
ALLY (colleague), following an anagram (blundering) of the leading letter of T [ory] + SUNA [k] (mostly = all but the last letter). A target in a fairground game, or (metaphorically) a person, object or opinion set up as a target for criticism.
Match centre includes activity in real time (9)
Author one wunning along a wailway twack (5)
Told to frighten Arab ruler (6)
Attempt to conceal old catastrophe (7)
Down
Goodness shown by Conservative? Suspect codswallop (6)
Beer drunk by liberal man of courage in act of defiance (9)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Fifteensquared have:
Anagram (drunk) of BEER , then L (abbreviation for Liberal) + LION (man of courage).
Emperor left component of perfume (5)
Bird iconic identifier of Liverpool on top of edifice (7)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Fifteensquared have:
RED KIT (identifier of Liverpool Football Club, who play in an all-red strip) + first letter (top, in a down clue) of E [difice]. A bird of prey. The surface suggests the Liver Bird, an iconic symbol of Liverpool, two of which appear on top of the Royal Liver Building – but that’s more like a cormorant than a red kite.
Go and request muffs for gargoyle perhaps (9)
The cry of a horse in (5)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Fifteensquared have:
Hidden answer (in . . .) in [ninetee] N EIGH [ty four].
Chocolate sauce is a change when cooking (7)
Flying ace describes Air Force in which one might serve (6)
Swift kiss following time away (9)
Rubbish: Clean it up and charge (9)
Males taking exercise bringing about change in Russia (7)
Wife of Mickey Artie Frank and Jack provides online image (6)
Playwright stooped to collect bag (7)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Fifteensquared have:
BENT (stooped) containing (to collect) BAG (as a verb = net = to capture). The playwright Alan Bennett: writer of The Madness of George III , The Lady in the Van , The History Boys etc.
City's extremely shady objective overturned by end of May (6)
I haven't cracked this one yet — but Fifteensquared have:
End letters (extremes) of S [had] Y , then END (objective = target) reversed (overturned), then the end letter of [ma] Y . Australian city.
Meagre earnings covering (5)
Buddhist scripture seems underwhelming to the atheists initially (5)
Type letters or click words in the clue