2645: Old comrades

Unclued lights make up a group, its members and location (two pairs, one doubly hyphened). Ignore one accent

Across

1    Red Route heartless? Tough (5)

4    Hugo’s girl’s medals are amazing (9)

11    Possible political pact on the left, I spill the beans (3-3)

12    From the outside, edged in to brush chamber (7)

15    Irritating, but not spiteful at first (5)

16    Violently purges sporting competition (5,1)

22    Voles, millions perishing in frozen expanse (5,3)

25    Rank covered in the Tatler (4)

27    Dutchman confuses me with Henry (7)

29    Amateur not fully taught to employ unknown weedkiller (8)

34    Miles for couple to cross high range (5)

35    Hammer parts of English into writers (5)

36    I tense a part of finger to push back tongue (7)

37    Pass online error? (6)

39    Bewitches flies, leaving one twitching, with lots of laughter (3-6)

40    Rabbit killer succeeded? Precisely (5)

Down

1    Ring remarkable identifier (4,6)

2    Bird call from way up heard, such poetry (5)

4    Big bird eats marsh samphire, ultimately to discharge from mouth (7)

5    Meaning to authorise one taking plane out of Luxembourg (10)

6    Well beaten, get seed expelled (7)

7    Two groups of soldiers holding up a vessel (5)

8    Something I do: hockey, badly (9)

13    Like a spinner thrown up drops on eventually immaculate line (7)

15    From Tasmania, say, one complete change of direction to get away from the coast (6)

17    It eats mice, as sport? (7,3)

18    Swallowing tablet, neglect entertaining speaker (7)

19    Tear round border, deflecting rays (10)

20    After delivery of letters, new afternoon lecture cut short (9)

26    One beaten, damaging maintop (7)

28    Breaking rock up, regularly in fear: they appear tired (7)

30    Flexible machinery one installed (6)

31    Paul’s companion is upset over footloose girl (5)

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A first prize of £30 and two runners-up prizes of £20 for the first correct solutions opened on 2 April. Please scan or photograph entries and email them (including the crossword number in the subject field) to crosswords@spectator.co.uk,