Across:
1 Great footballer (Pele = PE-LE) rings guesthouse (B&B = -BB-) (PEBBLE) in Little Rock (PEBBLE),
4 Oriental (east = E-) movements (-MOTIONS) (EMOTIONS) in Love/Hate (EMOTIONS),
9 Struck (struck = TRUCKS) out (= anagram indicator) by those in the Department of Transport (TRUCKS),
10 Regent is (regent is = STEERING) foolish (= anagram indicator) with one of the committees (STEERING committee),
12 Intemperance (EXCESS-) starts in various employments (starts ‘in various employments’ = -IVE) (EXCESSIVE) that can be OTT (that can be over the top = EXCESSIVE),
13 English (E-) Times (-X-) has leaderless (f) column (‘file’ without ‘f’ = -ILE) (EXILE) with a sentence that’s obviously political (EXILE is a political sentence),
14 Seek office (CONTEST A SEAT) for campaign (CONTEST A SEAT),
18 Unfamiliar (-STRANGE-) dudes (-MEN-) in ET (E-T) (ESTRANGEMENT) or Alienation (ESTRANGEMENT),
21 Briefings don’t include FBI’s (‘briefings’ don’t include ‘FBIs’ = reing = REIGN) time in absolute control (REIGN),
22 It comes as a great surprise (AMAZEMENT) half an (half ‘an’ = A-) old prison (-MAZE-) is for males (-MEN-) at the end of imprisonment (at the end of ‘imprisonment’ = -T) (AMAZEMENT),
24 Compact (SUCCINCT) small (S-) university (University College Cork = -UCC-) and institute (-I-) checks jaguars for problems (checks jaguars/cars: National Car Testing = -NCT) (SUCCINCT),
25 Small (S-) spot on the bottom (‘spot’ on the bottom = -T-) of the foot (-ARCH) (STARCH) creates a type of stiffness (STARCH),
26 Too nervous (RESTLESS) to relax (REST-) on the foreign (the = -LE-) ship (-SS) (RESTLESS),
27 Moves slowly (INCHES) taking Cistercian away from Christian Science (taking ‘Cistercian’ away from ‘Christian Science’ = hisnce = INCHES).
Down:
1 Figure in waiting room (patient) is not finished (t) (‘patient’ with ‘t’ = PATIEN-) – is Clare (-CE) (PATIENCE) out of tolerance? (PATIENCE),
2 British (B-) Trade (= anagram indicator) Union (Union = -OUN-IN-) welcomes conservative (-C-) from Government (-G) (BOUNCING) whose popularity, for instance, is going up and down (BOUNCING),
3 Takes a shine (LIKES) to dew coming off silkweed (‘dew’ coming off ‘silkweed’ = silke = LIKES),
5 Relatives at the bar perhaps (relatives at the legal bar perhaps = MOTHERS IN LAW) – the butt of married men’s jokes (MOTHERS-IN-LAW),
6 These neat (these neat = THE SENATE) cocktails (= anagram indicator) from house in Dublin (THE SENATE),
7 Where it begins (ORIGIN) to root (ORIGIN),
8 Made one’s mark (SIGNED) with dress (= anagram indicator) design (design = SIGNED),
11 Space between two points (distance = DIST-ANCE-) overlooking old city (-UR-) heading for Belfast (heading for ‘Belfast’ = -B-) school (-S) (DISTURBANCES) in The Troubles (DISTURBANCES),
15 Heard (= homophone indicator) eau de cologne (“scent” = “sent” = -SENT-) found in another (= anagram indicator) aisle (aisle = ES-IAL) (ESSENTIAL) is a must-have (ESSENTIAL),
16 Scrutiny (RESEARCH) of new (= anagram indicator) cars here (car here = RESEARCH),
17 Found in Jersey (STITCHES) produced by the sewers (STITCHES),
19 Emptying out of prayer meetings (‘emptying’ out of ‘prayer meetings’ = rarees = ERASER), this will be needed for classy clean-up (ERASER),
20 Circulates missing tale (‘circulates’ missing ‘tale’ = circus = CIRCUS) – the one with the clowns (CIRCUS),
23 Taken in (EATEN) by Eton (“Eton” = “EATEN”) saying (= homophone indicator).