2286: B

The unclued lights are of a kind. Ignore one grave accent.
 

Across

Most popular

Ross Clark

Britain is living beyond its means

 
1    Hails a picador, awfully exciting (13)
11    Difficult child had fun playing close to school (7)
12    Father has undone Turk’s head (5)
14    As You Like It — a piece of theatre by Shakespeare (6, two words)
16    Peg checks printer’s error in ‘Home on the Range’ (5)
17    Singer in the nude. Get her off! (4)
20    Wonderful rest is disturbed when everyone comes back in (7)
21    French composer having his bird nicely cooked, for starters (7)
23    Almost rescue girl in open country (7)
24    Some cheap oil upset French soldier (5)
25    Brad returned with a plant (5)
27    Frank paid in advance (7, two words)
30    Stuck on index, if fact’s only partially recalled (7)
31    He provides food around terrace (7)
35    Odd members of class war for living space in Spain (4)
36    Small creatures — one following a small king (5)
37    Pointer (mongrel) hurt, losing tail (6)
38    Memory of piece’s finale before the concert (5)
39    Russia’s leader put in charge? Damn! (7)
41    Re-stitches arm that’s lacerated, making spruce? (13, two words)
 

Down

 
1    Decline a temptation, reportedly (5)
2    One of my companions starts to plant poppies in grass (5)
3    Resting places with sea so rough! (5)
4    Sloping island, one covered with powder (6)
5    Confines in shacks when wickedness is around (7, two words)
7    Failed playing away from home (6)
8    Everywhere, that’s nothing but a ball, it seems (9, two words)
10    Hire actor fluffing line needing no response (10)
18    Everyone born is taken by grim reaper — and him? (10)
21    I clear cop crashing his vehicle (9, two words)
22    A deerstalker’s put-down? (7)
26    Superior in tiptop accommodation, which is right in theory (7, two words)
28    Form of defence favoured to get around a charge (7)
29    Secret enquiry lacks...