2486: Ghost companions

In this anniversary year, unclued lights (one of two words) are of a kind. Ignore four accents.

Across

Most popular

Brendan O’Neill

The moment in the ‘grooming gangs’ debate that shamed Jess Phillips

1 Regularly curse wee coming back through opening in baby’s clothing (9)
6 Foreigner married in Kent (5)
11 Irritable, graze on a little yoghurt (8)
13 Problem walking beside British Colonel (5)
14 Land comedian at hospital with temperature (6)
15 Ruined at start of quiz, leading pair lost (6)
17 Among papers, one is not secure (4)
19 More weird mutant reindeer leaving North Dakota (6)
23 Staple books at work turned over (6)
24 With tool I damaged can opening fruit (9)
30 Working on poker, retired from racing? (6, two words)
34 Dash and spirit reported, being very young (6)
36 Piece of fencing inhibits parking in some quarters, all the same (4)
39 Concede a village centre is incomplete (5)
40 General position in which we ski is wrong too (8)
41 Decoration for coach resuscitating ailing career (12, two words)
42 Smuggler swallows special honeyed drink (5)

Down

1 Bowler almost claims Stokes in part of opening spell (6)
2 Captivated by record increase (6)
4 Introduce us to drug, with nothing to lose (7, two words)
5 In photo, queer hat (5)
8 Lose colour in one toe operated on recently (8)
12 Certainly you won’t immediately see their leaders (4)
16 Britain in tense negotiation for Oriental art (7)
18 One laptop abandoned by business, I reckon (7)
20 No market at first for copper, say, and others (4, two words)
21 Herd all too prepared for this well-intentioned route (10, three words)
22 Half clad, different people need to employ one — of these? (9)
26 Like to punch you back? Calm down! (4)
27 Deliberately point back at parrot, one beginning to moult (7, two words)
29 Farm animal covered in terribly sore ringworm (7)
31 Old coin left covering end of wind instrument (4)
33 Give way in quarrel entirely (6)
35 Gorky’s general principle: a gun (5)