Clues
Across
- 1 President (Democrat) is sleepy, here? (4)
- 3 Rough plan for doctor back at sea (5)
- 7 Pride consequently abandoning right (3)
- 8 Use force as specialist discharges power (5)
- 9 Absurd undertaking, serving tongue in Karachi (4)
Down
- 1 Commercial zone vacated by chopper (4)
- 2 Trump wounded here, securing Georgia primaries - full of passionate intensity (5)
- 4 Romeo with lover, no longer king (3)
- 5 Leaders in favour of reform supporting the motion (3)
- 6 22 auditioned in ballet gear (4)
Setter’s notes
I try to remain apolitical, but admirers of W. B. Yeats may detect his influence in parts of 2 Down. And it seems I still can’t stop my occasional Araucarian urges from getting the better of me.
Across
- 1 “President” = ABE + “Democrat” = D — ABED, where one is sleepy.
- 3 “Doctor” = DR + “back at sea” = AFT — DRAFT, a rough plan.
- 7 “Consequently” = ERGO, abandoning “right” = R — EGO, “pride”.
- 8 “Specialist” = EXPERT, discharging “power” = P — EXERT.
- 9 Hidden (“serving”) in “absURD Undertaking” — URDU, the tongue of Karachi.
Down
- 1 “Commercial” = AD + “zone”, vacated to ZE — ADZE, a chopper.
- 2 The primaries of “GEorgia” = GE, inside the place Trump was wounded, his EAR — EAGER, “full of passionate intensity”.
- 4 “Romeo” = R + “lover, no longer” = EX — REX, “king”.
- 5 The leaders of “Favour Of Reform” — FOR, “supporting the motion”.
- 6 Sounds like (“auditioned”) 22, “two two” — TUTU.