Across:
8 Some investigate austerity (some ‘investigate austerity’ = gate au = GATEAU) in Madeira? (Madeira cake / GATEAU),
9 Daybreak (LUNCH) on local television (BOX) (LUNCH BOX) – would that feel empty if one is not going to work? (LUNCH BOX),
10 Urgently drops rent (‘urgently’ drops ‘rent’ = ugly = UGLY) and it’s far from fair (UGLY),
11 Old guides (PRECEDENTS) often given priority at the bar (PRECEDENTS),
12 Keep to yourself (RETAIN) going in and out of retail chain (going in and out of ‘retail chain’ = RETAIN),
14 Is similar (RESEMBLE) to half of them (to half of ‘them’ = -EM) surrounded by angry (= anagram indicator) Rebels (rebels = RES-BLE) (RESEMBLE),
15 Sounds like something otolaryngologist might do (BEND SOMEONE’S EAR) to go on and on (BEND SOMEONE’S EAR),
18 Pick out (SPY) point (south = S-) by British politician (-TORY) (SPY STORY) in The Riddle of the Sands, for instance (SPY STORY),
20 Holds the distinction (NICETY) of being taken in by Venice tycoon (held by ‘Venice tycoon’ = nice ty = NICETY),
22 Preoccupation (HOBBY HORSE) of Arabian (-HORSE) behind (= position indicator) leisure pursuit (HOBBY) (HOBBY HORSE),
24 Partnership (TEAM) to curate a museum’s content (‘curate a museums’ content = te a m = TEAM),
25 Sporting (= anagram indicator) lifters (lifters = FIL-ERTS) consuming Bass (-B-) (FILBERTS) and lots of nuts (hazelnuts = FILBERTS),
26 Look for someone (SEARCH) to reach (reach = -EARCH) out (= anagram indicator) to after (= position indicator) school (-S) (SEARCH).
Down:
1 Bengal (Bengal = BANGLE) stew (= anagram indicator) is a handy type on display at The Joint (is a handy type on display at The Joint/wrist = BANGLE),
2 Refuse to admit (DENY) what’s concealed by the downtrodden youths (what’s concealed by the downtrodden youths’ = den y = DENY),
3 Meet (BUMP INTO) Knock (BUMP) group of teachers (Irish National Teachers’ Organisation = INTO) (BUMP INTO),
4 De Gaulle fails to get deal (‘De Gaulle’ fails to get ‘deal’ = gule = GLUE) to stick (GLUE),
5 Buries (INTERS) old exam (INTER-) results at foundation (‘results’ at foundation = -S) (INTERS),
6 Will need to be composed (SHEET MUSIC), as one of those laid out on bed (SHEET) has the blues (MUSIC) (SHEET MUSIC),
7 Not well (-ILL-) after (= position indicator) having most of (e) the rich cake (‘torte’ without ‘e’ = TORT-) and a (-A) (TORTILLA) pancake (TORTILLA),
13 Count (ADD-) is (-IS) joined by a (A-) couple of graduates (BA x 2 = -BABA) (ADDIS ABABA) with African capital (capital of Ethiopia = ADDIS ABABA),
14 Repeatedly dropped plate (‘repeatedly’ dropped ‘plate’ = reedy = REEDY) from high, in a manner of speaking (REEDY),
16 Animation (EUPHORIA) of autobiographer dismissing Bogart (‘autobiographer’ dismissing ‘Bogart’ = uoiraphe = EUPHORIA),
17 It’s not (not) shortened (t) (‘not’ without ‘t’ = NO-) by One Direction? (north = -N-) Have a feeling (-SENSE) (NONSENSE) this is rubbish! (NONSENSE),
19 Trim (m) relatives (‘mothers’ without ‘m’ = OTHERS) may be significant (significant OTHERS),
21 Half-conscious state (TRANCE) or tense (T-) state (France) losing the head? (‘France’ losing the head = -RANCE) (TRANCE),
23 Relax (REST) – it’s embraced by the Welfare State (it’s embraced by the “Welfare State” = re St = REST),
24 Something for the actor (part = TRAP) turning up (= reversal indicator) in The Sting (sting = TRAP).