Pretty straightforward – not sure about a couple of double definitions
Across
1 DISTRACT amuse DI (policeman) S[teele’s] TRACT (political pamphlet)
5 PHENOL acid O (old) HEN (layer) in P[owerfu]L
9 SMALL FRY (they are unimportant) Stephen Fry as a lad
10 PAGODA temple PA (father) GO (work) D[hak]A
12 OUSTS throws out US (American) in OT (books) S (society)
13 COUNTDOWN dd?
14 IN TIME dd? or on time?
16 TREASON disloyalty T[he] REASON (principal)
18 HOSTAGE one seized TAG (security label) in HOSE (socks)
20 DESIRE longing [t]ES[s] in DIRE (desperate)
22 PARTISANS spikey weapons P[oland] ARTISANS (craftsmen)
23 DRAWN dd
24 REPEAT do once again A in (PETER)*
25 PARADISE state of bliss IS (island) in PARADE (march)
26 NASSER old Egyptian leader (SNARES)*
27 ORNAMENT decorative object hidden in [l]ORNA MENT[ioned]
Down
1 DESPOT Louis XVI was one DES (of the in French) TOP< (be more than upset)
2 STARS AND STRIPES flag RATS< (deserters hoist) SAND (polish) (PRIESTS)*
3 RULES controls RU (game) LES (the in French)
4 CORACLE boat [h]A[t]C[h] (odd letters removed) L (left) all in CORE (centre)
6 HEARTLESS Scrooge was [bone]HE[added] ARTLESS (without guile)
7 NEOCONSERVATIVE (ACTIONS EVEN)*
8 LEARNING instruction
RA< (soldiers in retreat) in LENIN (revolutionary) [sprin]G
11 HURT dd (John Hurt)
15 INANIMATE dead A AMIN< (former dictator turned up) in INTE[r] (bury)
17 CHAPERON escort CHA (tea) PERON (Evita)
19 ELAN style hidden in [lilli]E LAN[gtry]
20 DESPAIR hopelessness DE (of in French) PA (publicity agent) in SIR (title)
21 INTENT design IN (trendy) TENT (accommodation)
23 DRAMA play DRAM (drink) A
( )* = anagram [ ] = omit < = reverse dd = double definition
I think that 14A is definitely IN TIME as a DD
1 Musicians aim to be (by following the leader or the conductor)
2 Eventually
I also had COUNTDOWN and finally convinced myself that it was a charade of..
COUNT vb(tr). to believe to be; consider; think; deem – “count yourself lucky”
DOWN adv. immediately “cash down”
(Definitions from Collins – no BRB to hand!)
Thanks to Jed and Peto
Thanks Peto for a crossword which I generally enjoyed and Jed for the blog. I agree with AID@1 re 14ac and thanks to peterj@2 for explaining 13ac.
My usual grumble with this type of grid: having solved half the puzzle (in this case the right-hand side), I only had two letters in unsolved clues to take me forward.
7dn: I think the definition by example needs a clearer indication.