Eight unclued lights (four of two words) are of a kind.

 

Across

1 False prophet faces interjection, perhaps (12, three words)

10 Old soldier heartily opposes Prohibition (4)

12 Women perorate furiously about Welsh sustainable energy source (10, two words)

14 Spell first half of ‘exhume’ wrong (3)

15 Person rebuking extremely restive demonstrator (8)

19 Porky pianist regularly stays in bed (6, hyphened)

22 Such fish are briefly making comeback in channels (6)

24 Onions’ relative originally eaten on knife (5)

27 Playing reggae on street, daughter moved unsteadily (9)

29 Chauvinist dictator’s spirit and energy (5)

31 Mother of singer Grace Jones finally entering Assam? (6)

34 Oddly ignoring Indian at these intervals (6)

36 Slander most of former students in outskirts of Crawley (7)

38 Bank wound up, losing face (5)

39 Belief system of area around Long Island (8)

40 Lenin with no new money for Romanians (3)

41 Ointments senile lot applied around beginning of May (10)

43 Sign NHS is yet evolving and amalgamating (12)

 

Down

2 Aged Republican exercising caution with regard to flying (10)

3 What Spooner’s Manx cat has that needs trimming regularly (7)

4 Modern Persian revolutionary is following at a distance (5)

5 Worker in Barking, Dover and Tees (9)

6 Royal circle getting it wrong (6)

8 Prior to following him, I’m leaving this place (4)

9 Bellicose dwarf chasing cowboy’s horse (12, hyphened)

13 Revolting jockstrap concealed by formal garment (12, two words)

16 Wood of hollow laburnum covered by earth (3)

20 Stokes main furnaces at last for hosts (6)

21 Excessively tax surplus stock (10)

23 Game continued in Tyrone right away (9, hyphened)

25 Cook nailed it comprehensively (8, two words)

28 In favour of old tax system (7)

30 Improvise victory over contemptible person (6, two words)

32 Drink, and be sick over phone (3)

35 Tries to find the ultimate in Anderson shelters to conserve (5)

37 Soldiers charm young nurses (4)

 

A first prize of £30 for the first correct solution opened on 8 December. There are two runners-up prizes of £20. Please scan or photograph entries and email them (including the crossword number in the subject field) to crosswords@spectator.co.uk – the dictionary prize is not available. We will accept postal entries again at some point. Please note that because of the Christmas printing schedule the closing date is earlier than usual.

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