Fifteensquared

Still no sign of the recent puzzles online, and I’m far from the madding crowd today so unlikely to lay my hands on the paper itself.  If you have been fortunate enough to solve then please feel free to post comments.  Otherwise, I shall delete this placeholder later in the day.

Smiffy is on the road again today so I have produced this analysis on his behalf. Gaufrid

Across
1 TREASONABLE  REASON (motive) in TABLE (board)
7 TAT  [s]TAT[e] (high politics – limitless)
9 CIRCA  *(ARC[t]IC)
10 RAISE CAIN  *(IN CA[n]ARIES)
11 INDIGNANT  DIG (taunt) in INN (bar) ANT (worker)
12 THEME  TiE (bind) with HEM (border) replacing the ‘i’ (one)
13 ACCURSE  R (run) in ACCUSE (charge)
15 EROS  [h]EROS (leading character’s short of height)
18 SCOT  SCO[u]T (spy out of uniform) – I think, though I cannot find any support for U=uniform
20 PRECEDE  C (carbon) in *(DEEPER)
23 EVIAN  NAIVE (unsophisticated) reversed
24 RATIONALE  RATION (reduce the supply of) ALE (liquor)
26 DESPERATE  E (drug) REPS) (agents) reversed in DATE (meet)
27 THEFT  THE FT (this is)
28 ROE  RO[d]E (travelled no little distance) – same comment as 18a regarding D=distance
29 ELECTIONEER  L (left) in EEC (Common Market) ONE in TIER (row)

Down
1 TACTICAL  T (tenor) ACT 1 (start of opera) CAL[m] (mostly quiet)
2 EURYDICE  RUE (regret) reversed Y (unknown) DICE (risk)
3 SLANG  N (note) in SLAG (criticise)
4 NARRATE  RAN (raced) reversed RATE (speed)
5 BRITTLE  *(LIBRETT[o])
6 ELECTRODE  ELECT (waiting to serve) ROD (staff) [notic]E
7 TRADER  RED ART (monochrome paintings) reversed
8 TANKER  [go]T homophone of ‘anchor’ (moor)
14 RECONVENE  *(ONCE NEVER)
16 LEGALESE  EG (for example) ALES (drinks) in LE (the French)
17 DETECTOR  C[rime] T[aking] O[ff] in DETER (prevent)
19 TARTARE  TART (courtesan) ERA (a long time) reversed
20 PATIENT  I (one) in PATENT (right)
21 TENDER  dd
22 TISSUE  T (time) ISSUE (get out)
25 OUTDO  [b]OUT (contest ….. missing start) DO (as before)