Straightforward and enjoyable
Across
1 WITHDRAWAL leaving WITH (as a result) D (daughter) RAW (rough) AL (boy)
7 PIPE means of conveying PIP (signal) E (electronic)
9 SPAM junk mail MAPS< (schemes back)
10 FISHMONGER Molly Malone sold cockles and mussels (HES FORMING)*
11 BORDER line ROB< (steal over) DER (the German)
12 FINALIST qualifier FINAL (last) I (one) S (second) T (time)
13 VERY WELL dd
15 SIDE faction – hidden in [dis[SIDE[nt]
17 SCAR mark SCAR[city] (want)
19 HANDSOME liberal – hidden in [bat]H AND SOME[rset]
22 OMISSION failure O (no) MISSION (calling)
23 OBLIGE please (BOIL)* E[g]G<
25 CAPITALISM economic system CAPITAL (most important) IS M (money)
26 YEAR a time HEAR (receive news) with H (hotel) for Y (Yankee)
28 PEAK top SPEAK (talk) minus S (compass point)
28 DEGENERATE decline RENEGE< (go back on ones word about) in DATE (engagement)
Down
2 IMPROVE pick up PR (publicity) in (MOVIE)*
3 HUMID damp H (hot) U[sually] DIM< (cloudy turned)
4 REFORMER campaigner for change REF (judge) FORMER (previous) joined
5 WISHFUL THINKING pure fantasy W (west) IS H[arm]FUL THINKING (opinion)
6 LAMENT deplore LAM (strike) E (Europe) N[a]T[o]
7 PENALISES punishes (SLEEP IN AS)*
8 PLEASED satisfied PLEA (demand) DES< (of the French turned)
14 YARDSTICK standard [cyclew]AY< (ends up) RD (road) STICK (criticism)
16 UNCOMMON rare COMM[a] in (NOUN)*
18 COMRADE friend (RACED MO)*
20 MIGRANT transient MI (road) G (acceleration – gravity) RANT (rage)
21 RIBALD indecent (BRIDAL)*
24 LAYER course L (lecturer) AYE (consent) R[epeating]
( )* = anagram [ ] = omit dd = double definition < = reverse
Very enjoyable solve – thanks to setter and blogger.
FT puzzles seem to go up earlier than the G so now that we are 10.5 hours ahead of GMT they become more tempting of a morning.
Thanks Jed and Magwitch,
I agree this was good.
REFORMER was a newish construction for me, with the sharing of the “F”. I waited a while before putting it in.
Thanks Magwitch for an enjoyable puzzle – lots of very nice surfaces – and thanks to Jed for the blog.
19ac: I raised an eyebrow at the use of “Bath and Somerset”, as I tend to think in terms of traditional county boundaries, but the administrative county excludes Bath, and there is no obvious place ending in H that could have been used instead. Of course, there is no problem with the clue from a constructional point of view.
23ac: For me, “up” does not work as a reversal indicator in an across clue, but I think in this clue it can be an anagram lead, as the potential anagram fodder is explicitly there.
27ac: Here I would prefer something like “lacking point” instead of “pointless” as an indicator that one of two compass points needs to be removed. As always, I have no quarrel with those whose views on this sort of thing differ from mine.
4dn: I really liked the well-indicated overlap of REF with FORMER.
16dn: I do not recall ever seeing “With one exception” used in this way before. I think it is really good.
Thanks, Jed and Magwitch, it was a most agreeable crossword. I found it easier than your last one, Magwitch — I hope you didn’t listen too hard to Colin!
23D I liked the instruction given for omitting the middle letter of egg – without its yolk (its centre).
14D I also liked the use of ‘ends up’ to reverse the last two letters of ‘cycleway'(ay) although it could also be taken as meaning cy ie first and last letters.
Thanks to Jed and Magwitch for a well-constructed cryptic crossword.
See, ernie, that was one of the things I did not like very much: 14d.
A word has only one end (if one means where it ends, not the ‘extremities’).
I agree with Pelham Barton on 23ac and 27ac.
Perhaps, “egg up without its yolk” is a bit much for just GE.
A firm plus for 16d’s “with one exception” and also for the overlapping F in 4d (REF/FORMER).
Always good to see a setter trying to do something new/novel.
Not so keen on “starts usually” for U in 3d, however.
Overall, a fine second offering by Magwitch – not too challenging but apart from a few quibbles elegantly clued.
Thanks Jed & Magwitch.