Private Eye Crossword # 676

[Matakari]

Answers for the following, please! Many thanks in advance!

ACROSS:
27 Freedom of non-professionals to grab a kiss (6): L?S?T?
28 Draw thanks for backing sources of terrible Republican legislation (7):
???R?C?

DOWN:
23 Old tax applied after raise? *** off! (5): U?S??

[kettledrum]

27 la x ity

[vinpaul]

Agree with LAXITY

[dannyk13]

27. Laxity
28. Attract

[aelmpvw]

23 upset

[dannyk13]

23/Upset- Up(raise) + set(applied)

[kettledrum]

I thought old tax was SET - Selective Employment Tax

[Matakari]

Thanks, all! Now, my 25(D) changes. Is it SIXTY?
25 Figure is rejected by Times – Tory party gutted (5):
S?X?Y

[sedge47]

23d Upset - Up (raised) + SET (Selective Employment Tax)

[mallyh]

is reversed
x= times
tory gutted = t y

[aelmpvw]

yes, si x ty

[aelmpvw]

just to be irritatingly pedantic i think it's tory party gutted

[dannyk13]

Sedge, if tax is not the definition, what is?

[Matakari]

Many thanks, again!

[aelmpvw]

i think *** off is the definition

[Toorak]

The last two words in the clue

[dannyk13]

How does upset apply to ****off?

[aelmpvw]

i'll try urinate off

[dannyk13]

ael. would have been better if the OP had put the correct number of '*'s

[aelmpvw]

true, just noticed that there are only three

[aelmpvw]

then again when i typed the four letter word for synonym for urinate only three * appeared