Independent 11,005 / Phi

[CH (=church] ) + A + R (=regina, i.e. queen)] in RID (=free, liberate)

ESU (USE=purpose; “recall of” indicates reversal) in COMP (=competition)

SEX + AGE (=survey questions, i.e. what respondents are asked to reveal) + S (=small, of sizes) + *(MAIL); “shot” is anagram indicator

Hidden (“enthralled by”) in “stuccO NOw”; the reference is to Japanese artist Yoko Ono (1933-)

UN (=a French, i.e. the French word for a) + DO (=party)

C (=Conservative) + {FLAG (=national symbol) in [A MOUE (=show of discontent, pout)]}

Homophone (“what sounds like”) of “core set (=central group)”; stays are a corset stiffened with bone or metal

STAC (CATS=guys, chaps; “backing” indicates reversal) + CATO (=censor, in Roman history)

[A + BOT (=computer program)] in SAGE (=wise)

[O (=old, as in OT) + RS (=group of scientists, i.e. Royal Society] in DET. (=detective)

*(METAL + RESIN); “blending of” is anagram indicator

A + STI<r> (=activity, commotion; “lot of” means last letter is dropped)

<b>ASH (=party); “after ousting leader” means first letter is dropped

DRILL (=regular behaviour) + I + N (=note) + [R<ile> (“beginning to” means first letter only) in GIG (=performance, concert)]; the “bore” of the definition is a borehole

MUR (RUM=curious, odd; “turned” indicates reversal) + DOC (COD=mocking, teasing; “turned” indicates reversal) + H<eart> (“just a touch of” means first letter only); the reference is to British novelist Iris Murdoch (1919-99)

S<etter> (“first to” means first letter only) + TINKER (=to fiddle with)

[SOUR (=bad-tempered) + C. (=about, i.e. circa) + E (=Spain, i.e. España in IVR)] in RES<t> (=remainder; “most of” means last letter is dropped)

X (=kiss, e.g. on greetings card) in CO-ED (=US schoolgirl at a co-educational institution)

Hidden (“involves”) in “globAL GAme”; alga is seaweed, hence “a lot of green stuff”

SM (=unusual sexual practices, i.e. sadomasochism) in DIAL (=face, of clock); e.g. dismal prospects are depressing, not encouraging

[M (=million) + FOR (=supporting, pro)] in COT (=turning in, as it were, i.e. getting into bed/cot)

FACT (=truth) in [MALE (=meal) + OR (=soldiers, i.e. Other ranks)]

[TOW AWAY (=forcibly remove, e.g. abandoned vehicle)] in SS (=on board)

PO (OP=opus; “up” indicates vertical reversal) + OLÉ (=encouraging cry); Poole is a Dorset (=entry at 20) town

E (=English) in *(WHAT WORDS); “arrangement of” is anagram indicator; Westward Ho! is a coastal town in Devon, whose name is inspired by the 1855 novel of the same name by Charles Kingsley

REBIRT (TRIBE=group of people + R (=runs, on a cricket score card); “up” indicates a vertical reversal) + HER (=for that female); rebirthing is a type of psychotherapy involving reliving the experience of being born

OU<t> (=free, no longer in prison; “not quite” means last letter is dropped) + TRIGGER (=to set off, activate)

GO (=leave, depart) + L (=large, of sizes) + DISH (=serving of food)

C<onfusion> (“source of” means first letter only) in UN LES (=French articles, i.e. the French for a and the)

S<ting> (“start to” means first letter only) + WARM (=close, as in a game of hide and seek)

SH (=quiet!) + RE- (=about, regarding) + <shre>K (“end of” means last letter only); the reference is to the green ogre in the 2001 film

ASTI (=entry at 23); “change of direction” means that letter “S (=south)” becomes “N (=north)”