8  Clumsy tradesmen dropping new shed (8)

 9  Two ways a knight could get shortened jacket (6)

10 *Local tense, eating absolutely nothing (6)

11 *Tip bins over in upstairs room (8)

12 State spending cut, at the expense of communication (10)

15 Encourage doctors getting son's cast off (4)

16 Their singles (number released) 'vacuous claptrap'? Possibly (3,5,5)

18 Nicola Sturgeon perhaps drunk when embracing Conservative (4)

20 One's played in goal as cover for crowd-pleaser (injured) (3,7)

21 Remains fed up about America taking lead from Trump (8)

24 *Pale blue skirts (6)

25 *Tears held back by child singled out from the others (6)

26 Filled with love, initially Scully and partner repress strong feelings (8)

 2  Detective keeping a lot of corrupt fellows in custody (10)

 3  Put out - in fact I'm extremely upset (4)

 4  Assistant has a last suggestion (4)

 5  One rapidly fires staff smuggling cocaine in huge pants (7-3)

 6  Spring crop beginning to emerge (4)

 7  Friend occupying Government post (6)

13 Make competent head set about work involving one teaching assistant originally (10)

14 Sustain rapid attacks, scoring five in second half (5)

15 Flaky pastry lacking breadth, rolling error primarily to blame (10)

17 Puzzle supporting conclusion of this pedant (8)

19 *A fit of weeping has water rising inside (6)

22 Few regularly wear hair up (4)

23 Soprano has malfunctioning girdle (4)

24 Dim friend of Pooh's? The reverse! (4)