Across:
8 Some investigate austerity (some ‘investiGATE AUsterity’ = GATEAU) in Madeira? (Madeira cake / GATEAU)
9 A (A-) bad start (‘Bad’ start =-B-) is typical (-NORMAL) (ABNORMAL) of eccentric (ABNORMAL),
10 Suspension (WAIT) of work in 4 down (WAIT tables in ‘café’),
11 Where one is likely to find artistic impressions (SKETCH PADS) mostly drawn (‘drawn’ without ‘n’ = draw = SKETCH) at the end of 24 down (‘pads’ = PADS) (SKETCH PADS)
12 In the hunt (SAFARI) for revolutionary (= reversal indicator) paramilitaries’ (IRA = -ARI) old training unit (FÁS = SAF-) (SAFARI),
14 Accountant (CA-) is depressed (sad = -S-AD) about the foreign (Spanish ‘the’ = -EL-) ring (-O-) (CASELOAD) and that’s picked up by the barman (CASELOAD picked up by lawyer),
15 Primitive (UNSOPHISTICATED) organisation (UN-) linked to Cosmopolitan (- SOPHISTICATED) (UNSOPHISTICATED),
18 Casanova’s (Casanovas = PLAYBOYS) dramatic productions (plays = PLAY-S) about early man? (-BOY-) (PLAYBOYS),
20 Drugs (POT-) for scratching the head (r), irritating skin problem (‘rash’ without ‘r’ = -ASH) (POTASH) and increasing fertility (POTASH fertiliser),
22 A foreign (a = UN-) figure (-NUMBER-) running paper (-ED) (UNNUMBERED) can’t be counted on (UNNUMBERED),
24 Frost, for example (Robert Frost = POET), at both ends of Powell Street (at both ends of ‘POwell StreET’ = POET),
25 Lesser (lesser = RE-LESS) play (= anagram indicator) about Street (-ST-) (RESTLESS) is like A Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (like a cat on a hot tin roof = RESTLESS),
26 Mafia boss (Don) recalls (= reversal indicator) (don = NO D-) losing the head (v) with police department (‘vice’ without ‘v’ = ICE) (NO DICE) as the deal is off locally! (the deal is off! = NO DICE!).
Down:
1 Admit Che Guevara hasn’t (‘che guevARA HAS’nt = arahas) upset (= reverse indicator) (arahas = SAHARA) a large part of North Africa (SAHARA),
2 Nuts from tungsten (‘nuts’ from ‘tungsten’ = gten = GENT) produced by refined chap (GENT),
3 He prepares the magazine (GUNSMITH) with pieces (GUNS-) on American university (Massachusetts Institute of Technology = -MIT-) hospital (-H) (GUNSMITH),
4 Members of Metallica feeling (members of ‘metalliCA FEeling’ = CAFE) out of place promoting Hot Chocolate (CAFE),
5 Local criticises (‘local’ criticises = KNOCKS) sounds from The Doors (KNOCKS),
6 Fuel (PROPELLANT) plant (P-LANT) housing top-ranking (top ‘Ranking’ = -R-) German car manufacturer (-OPEL-) (PROPELLANT),
7 Queen (CARD), The Clash (GAME) (CARD GAME) or Chicago, in the gambling sense in Finland? (‘Chicago’ game of poker very popular in Finland = CARD GAME),
13 Columnists (AGONY AUNTS) getting grief (AGONY) from relatives (AUNTS) (AGONY AUNTS),
14 Stores the wine (CASKS) for 100 (Roman 100 = C-) local grills (local ‘grills’ = -ASKS) (CASKS),
16 At this moment (now) briefly (w) (‘now’ without ‘w’ = NO) more strung out? (LONGER) (NO LONGER) Not any more! (NO LONGER),
17 Very cheeky (IMPUDENT) foreign politician (-MP-) gets to study (-DEN-) after (= position indicator) university (-U-) consumed by information technology (IT = I-T) (IMPUDENT),
19 Shady types (Ombrés = OMBRES) from card game (OMBRE-) school (-S) (OMBRES),
21 Make a scene (SKETCH) opening 11 across (opening ‘sketch pads’ = SKETCH),
23 Characters under a spell (characters ‘undeR A SPell’ = RASP) by instrument in The Carpenter’s Collection (tool/file = RASP),
24 Limits packs of cards (limits ‘PAcks of carDS’ = PADS) in writers’ blocks (writing PADS).