Across:
8 European (POLISH) from Japan? (japan varnish / POLISH),
9 Code (ENCIPHER) for that man (-HE-) in Pincer (pincer = ENCIP-R) Movement (= anagram indicator) (ENCIPHER),
10 Banks sales initiative (banks ‘sales initiative’ = SAVE) in Budget (SAVE).
11 One (I-) farm (farm = M AFR-) developed (= anagram indicator) with benefits (aids = -AID S-) and introduction to oligarch? (introduction to ‘oligarch’ = -O) (I’M AFRAID SO) Unfortunately, it looks that way! (I’M AFRAID SO),
12 Is this somewhat consuming Jordan? (Jordan is partially/somewhat in ARABIA) It borders on arachnophobia! (it borders on ‘arachnophobia’ = ARABIA),
14 Resistance (AVERSION) to American (A-) priest (Rev = -VER-) retiring (= reversal indicator) to place in Israel (-SION) (AVERSION),
15 “What those involved in Dáil cover-up did?” (PAPERED THE HOUSE) – The Irish Times (PAPER-) editor (-ED) took article (THE) home (HOUSE) (PAPERED THE HOUSE),
18 True icon (true icon = NEUROTIC) excited (= anagram indicator) by obsessive type (NEUROTIC),
20 The property of the gentry (ESTATE) in England (E-) and Ireland (-STATE) (ESTATE),
22 Wear (wear = WA-ER-) out (= anagram indicator) over shirt (-T -shirt) with most (s) of 21 down (‘towers’ without ‘s’ = TOWER) (WATER TOWER) from The Spring Collection? (WATER TOWER),
24 Trendiest coming out of Downing Street (‘trendiest’ coming out of ‘Downing Street’ = owng = GOWN) in formal wear (GOWN),
25 Will save us (REDEEMER) reviewing (= reversal indicator) the overnight phenomenon of The Dreamers (REM = -MER) – the introduction (f) it could be for The Birds (‘feeder’ = eeder = REDEE-) (REDEEMER),
26 Included in Vespa personalised (included in ‘Vespa personalised’ = PAPERS) for archivist going to work (PAPERS).
Down:
1 It’s nonsense (HOT AIR) taking all the characters back (= reversal indicator) to take a left (l) out of Rialto (take ‘l’ out of Rialto = riato = -OT AIR) towards hotel (H-) (HOT AIR),
2 Engage the services (HIRE) of gal form Raleigh (‘gal’ from ‘Raleigh’ = reih = HIRE),
3 Type of mushroom (SHIITAKE) clouds to the right of (‘clouds’ to the right of = S-) Haiti (Haiti = HIITA-) burst (= anagram indicator) with kinetic energy (-KE) (SHIITAKE),
4 Sample of ultimate figs (sample of ‘ultimate figs’ = atef) served up (= reversal indicator) (atef = FETA) with cheese (FETA),
5 Social secretary loses royalties (‘social secretary’ loses ‘royalties’ = scacer = SCARCE), in short (SCARCE),
6 Party pooper (SPOILSPORT) produces wine (-PORT) that’s off (SPOILS-) from the start (= positional indicator) (SPOILSPORT),
7 Strange (= anagram indicator) noises (noises = -ESSION-) in ship (S-S) (SESSIONS) produced by the musicians on the beer (SESSIONS),
13 Hazy vision (BLEARY -) kept under scrutiny (-EYED) (BLEARY-EYED) – you’ll need 17 down for this condition! (get ‘eye drops’ for BLEARY-EYED condition),
14 Cover-up somewhat ticks off (cover-up ‘somewhat ticks off’ = ATTIC) one of those in The House (ATTIC),
16 Goes with Maria (AVE- Maria), furious (-RAGES) (AVERAGES) with what’s fair-to-middling? (AVERAGES),
17 They’ll give you a better view (EYE DROPS) of troubled (= anagram indicator) doper? Yes! (doper yes = EYE DROPS),
19 Demonstrates shed sander (‘demonstrates’ shed/without ‘sander’ = mottes = TOTEMS) carved poles (TOTEMS),
21 Ghostwriter has no right (‘ghostwriter’ has no ‘right’ = oswrte = TOWERS) to high rises (high-rises = TOWERS),
23 Wine bar ignores ban (‘wine bar’ ignores ‘ban’ = wier = WIRE) on the electric amp (WIRE),
24 Openings (GAPS) for what’s absent (-A-) in TripAdvisor perhaps (TripAdvisor perhaps = Global Positioning System = GPS = G-PS) (GAPS).