2437: Sketchy

The unclued lights (two of two words, one of which includes an apostrophe) are of a kind. Where alternative final letters occur, M and O are to be used, not T and I.
 

Across

Most popular

Martin Narey

How I was punished for breaking the conspiracy of silence on grooming gangs

11    Carpet salesman finished right at the front (7)
12    Rode at front, elevated as aid to driver (6, hyphened)
16    Superior meal, seconds not required (5)
19    Negative terminal coated roughly with touch of hydrochloric (7)
21    Look closely for perimeter of perimeter! (4)
23    African country’s merit reappraised just a little (7)
24    Old coin in Roope’s overcoat (4)
25    Recommend guests get changed around midnight (7)
30    Get stressed and awfully upset about small space (7, two words)
31    Found in the Taf area, not around here (4)
32    Work out in Scottish isle starts to get energetic (7)
34    Regularly incur two females? Enough! (4)
35    Stan, not half discourteous, left dessert (7)
40    The Stones’ memorial? (5)
42    Embassy official lacking electronic link (6)
43    Nothing to fix unfairly with French friend in paperwork (7)
44    Hello! That’s an excellent bit of planing! (11, two words)
 

Down

1    Foreign money one checks for monks (11)
2    Put in a further charge? (6)
3    Betray secrets, causing rift (5)
5    Having lost head, rings to offer apology for mistake (4)
6    Legless in Lyon, returning during service (4)
8    Out of office having managed these five councils (7)
9    Stronghold taken over by private landlord (9)
10    Depression ends changes in regiment (7)
15    Old noble initially gallant during those times (5)
17    Check before opening (7)
20    Renders defenceless, organising raids outside of Madras (7)
26    Pretentious chap taken to court for hearing (5)
28    Receiver accepts top-grade earthenware (7)
29    Abrupt start from barrister with trick question thrown in (7)
33    Genuine manuscript showing spheres of activity (6)
36    Poet using some randy language (5)
38   ...