Independent 8412 / Raich

Flashling is away in foreign climes so you have the pleasure, or otherwise, of my company today.

Raich has provided us with a pleasant and generally gradual start to the new week though I am at a loss as to how to adequately explain 14ac. Not being too familiar with American history I do not know if it is a true &lit or if it just a cryptic way of associating freedom and liberty. I was also unable to resolve the issue of two apparent anagram indicators in 6dn and 7dn though of course they do improve the surface.

Across

1 Guy seeking to raise temperature on stairs is struggling (8)
ARSONIST – anagram (is struggling) of ON STAIRS

5 Uniform (Royal), man is pressing (6)
URGENT – U (uniform) R (royal) GENT (man)

9 Have drink (or two!) at opening of latest airport feature? (8)
CAROUSEL – CAROUSE (have a drink (or two)) L[atest] (opening of latest)

10 Objection on return home, Government delight cut short (6)
NIGGLE – IN reversed (on return) G (Government) GLE[e] (delight cut short)

12 Financial interest small and appropriate (5)
STAKE – S (small) TAKE (appropriate)

13 Plant seeds while husband’s away on a trip (9)
EDELWEISS – anagram (on a trip) of SEEDS W[h]ILE

14 Rung by rebel, it’ll free? (7,4)
LIBERTY BELL – anagram (free) of BY REBEL IT’LL – &lit?

18 Island song mature lady is able to put on initially (4,7)
GRAN CANARIA – GRAN (mature lady) CAN (is able) ARIA (song)

21 Politician I’d introduced to host (9)
PRESIDENT – I’D in PRESENT (host)

23 Irritable artist refusing drink at Gallery’s close (5)
RATTY – RA (artist) TT (refusing drink) [galler]Y (Gallery’s close)

24 Like some verse in Athens, mainly bucolic (in couplets primarily) (6)
IAMBIC – I[n] A[thens] M[ainly] B[ucolic] I[n] C[ouplets]

25 One making records reproduced in new atlas (8)
ANNALIST – anagram (reproduced) of IN N ATLAS

26 Port worker visiting North East Sweden (6)
NANTES – ANT (worker) in (visiting) NE (North East) S (Sweden)

27 Anxiety about tiresome fellow, first to last – one from the past (8)
FOREBEAR – FEAR (anxiety) around (about) OREB (tiresome fellow {bore}, first to last)

Down

1 Charge account linked to employment (6)
ACCUSE – ACC (account) USE (employment)

2 Good comic’s trick taking soldiers in (6)
SCREAM – RE (soldiers) in SCAM (trick)

3 Olives uncle in EU prepared in different way maybe? (8,7)
NOUVELLE CUISINE – anagram (prepared or prepared in a different way) of OLIVES UNCLE IN EU – &lit

4 Part of Hamlet understood by the sound of it (5)
SCENE – homophone (by the sound of it) of ‘seen’ (understood)

6 Moving away, I mixed with a girl racer in this? (7,8)
RAILWAY CARRIAGE – anagram (moving or mixed) of AWAY I A GIRL RACER

7 Kitchen item, for example, that sorts grime out over time (3,5)
EGG TIMER – EG (for example) anagram (sorts or out) of GRIME around (over) T (time)

8 Those people welcoming girl climbing in Greek region (8)
THESSALY – THEY (those people) around (welcoming) LASS (girl) reversed (climbing)

11 He presents bill that shows drink a Rector brought in (6)
BEARER – A R (Rector) in BEER (drink)

15 Outlawed group given hearing (6)
BANNED – homophone (given hearing) of ‘band’ (group)

16 From country like Faroes, so it’s said (8)
EGYPTIAN – cryptic def. involving a homophone (so it’s said) of ‘Faroes’ ie pharaohs

17 Warn team about Dennis? (8)
WATERMAN – anagram (about) of WARN TEAM – appearing not long after last Tuesday’s Minder theme

19 French star crude perhaps during summer there (6)
ÉTOILE – OIL (crude perhaps) in ÉTÉ (summer there)

20 Boy’s terse to some extent – he gives little away (6)
OYSTER – hidden in ‘bOY’S TERse’

22 Dance beat’s not half good!
TANGO – TAN (beat) GO[od]