It’s now well past 7pm and the scheduled blogger hasn’t put in an appearance so here is a substitute. As this has been prepared in some haste there are not many comments.
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Across
1 PLIANT I in PLAN (scheme) T (time)
4 MASSACRE A (one) in *(SCREAMS)
10 NEPTUNIUM *(IMPUTE NUN) – the next element in the periodic table after uranium
11 MOTET OT (Old Testament, religious text) in MET (encountered) – a ‘motet’ is a choral composition, usually unaccompanied, with a biblical or similar prose text – a very well constructed clue!
12 AMOK A (answer) O (zero) in MK (mark)
13 TELESCOPIC *(CLOTS PIECE)
15 LOITERS L (left) *(SORTIE)
16 SORDID RD (road) I in SOD (turf)
19 BEREFT REF (umpire) in BET (gambling)
21 ATLANTA dd
23 LEADERSHIP READERSHIP (newspaper’s clientele) with initial R changed to L
25 MENU MEN (army) U (uniform)
27 CREDO saCRED Order – hidden word
28 EPISCOPAL OP (work) in *(SPECIAL)
29 REASSESS ASS (idiot) in SEER (fortune-teller) reversed S (son)
30 SMARMY SM (sadomasochism) ARMY (forces)
Down
1 PENTACLE EL (the in Spanish) CATNEP (mint) all reversed
2 IMPROVISE IS (island) in IMPROVE (rally, or get better)
3 NOUS NO US[e]
5 AIMLESS IM in ALES (drinks) S (beginning of service)
6 SEMICIRCLE cd
7 CUT UP CU (copper) T (ton) UP
8 ENTICE E (bridge player) NT (no trumps) ICE (diamonds)
9 BICEPS BI (ac/dc) SPEC (specification) reversed
14 REDEVELOPS *(PEEVE LORDS)
17 INNKEEPER PEEK (look) reversed in INNER (secret)
18 CASUALTY CASUAL (careless) T Y (last letters of at and DIY)
20 TASTERS T[o]ASTERS
21 ACIDIC CID (police) in AI (first-rate) C (clubs)
22 SLICER S[p]LICER
24 ARENA A N (new) ERA (age) all reversed
26 SCAM SCAM[p]