It’s the last Sunday of the month, so here’s the regular puzzle based on topical events – I nearly missed this one as it hasn’t yet appeared in the FT app, but it is available to solve online or download and print from ft.com/crossword as usual.
I found this a fairly gentle puzzle by Neo’s usual standards but that’s no bad thing given the state of my head this morning. Time and technical constraints mean I’ve had to rush the blog slightly but hopefully everything is explained satisfactorily. I’ll be out most of the day so will catch up with any comments later.
Thanks, Neo!
| ACROSS | ||
| 9 | HYPOCRITE |
One with two-tier attitude? He entertains corrupt City pro (9)
|
| HE contains (entertains) an anagram (corrupt) of CITY PRO | ||
| 10 | OMANI |
Arab very soon coming to West (5)
|
| IN A MO (very soon) reversed (coming to west) | ||
| 11 | MARLENE |
Girl put Strictly’s Goodman in torment (7)
|
| LEN (Len Goodman, judge on Strictly) in MARE (short for nightmare = torment) | ||
| 12 | TARIFFS |
Having a run in, disputes duties due to Brexit? (7)
|
| A + R (run) in TIFFS (disputes) | ||
| 13 | SATANIC |
Wicked so describing article by Brown? (7)
|
| SIC (so) containing (describing) A (article) + TAN (brown) | ||
| 15 | ENDORSE |
Back Kamala? Last runner misses introduction (7)
|
| END (last) + [h]ORSE (runner) missing first letter (introduction)
The LA Times and Washington Post controversially refused to back Kamala Harris for the presidential election, allegedly out of fear of reprisals should Trump win. |
||
| 17 |
See 19
|
|
| 18 | ERR |
Blunder exercises Rachel Reeves for starters (3)
|
| First letters (starters) of Exercises Rachel Reeves | ||
| 19/17 | SWING STATE |
Was setting chaotic where US vote hotly-contested? (5,5)
|
| Anagram (chaotic) of WAS SETTING
Campaigning has been hotting up in the key battlegrounds – notably Georgia – ahead of the forthcoming US presidential election. |
||
| 21 | ROTATED |
Took turns, misogynist Andrew having strut round (7)
|
| TATE (misogynist Andrew Tate) having ROD (strut) around | ||
| 23 | SERFDOM |
Being a slave, small Mr Foden almost ruined! (7)
|
| S (small) + anagram (ruined) of MR FODE[n]
Mr Foden could be the Manchester City and England footballer Phil. |
||
| 25 | PROJECT |
Stand out as scheme to create Great British Energy? (7)
|
| Two definitions
Great British Energy is the name of the proposed nationalised company to run power infrastructure. |
||
| 28 | STENCIL |
Streeting at first bothered client for decoration (7)
|
| First letter of Streeting + anagram (bothered) of CLIENT
Wes Streeting is the current Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, tasked with reforming the NHS. |
||
| 29 | EMPTY |
Ready for a fill — like government coffers? (5)
|
| Cryptic definition
Reference to the apparent £40bn shortfall in government funds that Reaches Reeves has been telling us about a lot recently ahead of her forthcoming budget statement. |
||
| 30 | RIGOLETTO |
Cook rings to keep Latvian in work (9)
|
| RIG (cook) + OO (rings) containing (to keep) LETT (Latvian)
Rigoletto is an opera by Verdi. |
||
| DOWN | ||
| 1 | THOMAS |
Tuchel and the Archetypal Doubter (6)
|
| Two definitions
The FA appointed Thomas Tuchel as new manager of the England men’s football team. |
||
| 2 | OPERETTA |
Show a tree top swaying (8)
|
| Anagram (swaying) of A TREE TOP | ||
| 3 | SCREEN-TEST |
Determine who should be put in picture? Double check! (6-4)
|
| SCREEN and TEST both mean check | ||
| 4 | AIDE |
Plan’s back-to-front for McSweeney? (4)
|
| IDEA (plan) moving the last letter to the front
Morgan McSweeney has replaced Sue Gray as Chief of Staff to the Prime Minister. |
||
| 5 | DEBT |
Liability changed budget, not uniform or good (4)
|
| Anagram (changed) of B[u]D[g]ET less U (uniform) and G (good) | ||
| 6 | SOAR |
Rise on wind — no heart in solar (4)
|
| SO[l]AR less the middle letter (no heart)
The government remains committed to wind power but has rowed back on a commitment to make solar panels compulsory in newly built housing. |
||
| 7 | GAFFER |
Is it Starmer after his ‘return the sausages’? (6)
|
| Cryptic/double definition – a gaffer being one who makes gaffes, and Starmer is also the gaffer in the more usual sense (boss)
The PM slipped up in a speech this month when he said sausages instead of hostages. |
||
| 8 | GINSBERG |
Troubled GB singer and poet (8)
|
| Anagram (troubled) of GB SINGER | ||
| 14 | CREED |
Faith — in mediocre education! (5)
|
| Hidden in medioCRE EDucation | ||
| 15 | EUROS |
Thus regret lifting cash Moldovans will use? (5)
|
| SO (thus) + RUE (regret)
Is Moldova converting from the Lei to the Euro? Not heard this story if so and Google is only giving me results relating to the Euro 2024 football tournament, in which Moldova were participants. |
||
| 16 | DISORDERLY |
Like rioters in Hell with NHS worker (10)
|
| DIS (Hell) + ORDERLY (NHS worker) | ||
| 17 | SHRAPNEL |
Battlefield hazard HP learns about (8)
|
| Anagram (about) of HP LEARNS | ||
| 20 | INDICATE |
Point to ill-natured uprising in Bury endlessly (8)
|
| ACID (ill-natured) reversed (uprising) in INTE[r] (bury, endlessly) | ||
| 22 | THORPE |
Lidia who heckled Charles in small village (6)
|
| Two definitions
Lidia Thorpe is an aboriginal Australian politician who heckled the King during his recent visit. Thorpe is a village in Surrey, best known for its theme park. |
||
| 24 | MILTON |
Learner in US college subject to hurricane (6)
|
| L (learner) in MIT (US college) + ON (subject to)
Hurricane Milton battered Florida recently, causing widespread floods and destroying homes. |
||
| 26 | ENYA |
King leaves African country for Irish chanteuse (4)
|
| K (king) leaves [k]ENYA (African country) | ||
| 27 | TORY |
Nothing to block tax for Badenoch or Jenrick? (4)
|
| O (nothing) inserted in (to block) TRY (tax)
After several rounds of voting this month, Robert Jenrick and Kemi Badenoch are the two final candidates to become new leader of the Conservative Party. |
||
| 28 | SAGE |
Wise backing fuel allowance in the end (4)
|
| Reversal (backing) of GAS (fuel) + last letter of allowancE
Reference to the government’s plans to scrap the winter fuel allowance. |
Pout – I can only get it as a printout – and it needs the account I set up to blog this one a few months back. I suspect it’s only going to be account holders with printers today. I’m not sure I’ve got time to fight with the printer too.
I get the paper, so no problems here.
As usual with FT News puzzles, not many clues that don’t allude to something or other. RIGOLETTO and ENYA possibly not in the frame, but nice to see two-tier Keir getting a kick in the first clue. Some good ones here, especially the sausages gaffe. My favourite, though rather sad, is the ‘troubled GB singer’. Poor lad.
Thanks Widdersbel and Neo.
EUROS
An Oct 18 news headline says:
Moldova says ‘Yes’ to pro-EU constitutional changes by tiny margin.
Looks related?
Thanks Widdersbel and Neo.
Ironic that a topical news puzzle didn’t appear until today, when it was already yesterday’s news. Where’s Roger Blitz?
Thought 14d CREED might be referring to legal challenges to VAT on Faith Schools. I got a mediocre education (RC) – nothing about evolution.
Thanks N&W
I solved this yesterday when it turned up online. I did see a few more possibly relevant stories.
The SATANIC Temple is taking on the Christian right in the US, campaigning for abortion, among other things. There was a Guardian article this week.
Andrew Tate is back in the news as there’s a request for more support services in schools to counter his and others’ brands of toxic masculinity.
RIGOLETTO is currently in performance with Welsh National Opera, in a production linking the Bullingdon club and Partygate – partly in the news because WNO are in danger due to lack of funding.
I’m sure I’ve missed some others.
Thank you to Neo and Widdersbel.