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36 is a 4-letter word for "to pass the ball to" + L, generating an extra D. Def is "instinct" as in have a XXXX for something.

Thanks Brendan and Loge. Got those, and theme. Not sure about wearing as anagram indicator…
I expected message to start ‘Add a’ of course.
Nearly there, just a few at the bottom left corner including the final thematic. (Not read the other forum posts yet!)

29a - Controversial politician with leader not in vogue (4)

I'm not convinced I've parsed this correctly because the leading letter R is "in", and it's the last letter N that isn't (with an A extra)? Of course, all this supposes that I've got the right "politician" - one who could appear as a thematic.

I'm at the 'going round in circles' stage so please help:-)

hi Brendan, the politician is British, answer is last 4 letters of his name - first removed by wordplay, second is the extra A

You're looking at a UK politician, who is primarily responsible for the "sunny uplands" which have so far failed to materialise...

Aahhh! as expected I had the wrong politician, no doubt you can work out who I thought it was:-)

Many thanks Cranberryboat and HNY to one and all:-)

Many thanks Loge, I'd incorrectly assumed it was a US politician and that the random order of letters was because of the "controversial" at the start but I just knew it was wrong.

That was fun and the positioning of each of the themed answers was very neat - including the final location of the 9th, with which I heartily concur. I used to have a fair bit to do with such locations and had many far less deserving customers.

Took a while to get there, but another pleasing puzzle. Agree completely that's where the abominable specimen in question belongs, but can't see it happening, sadly. He really does appear to be Teflon ...

I seem to have had the exact opposite experience to everyone else, in that, I immediately saw how 56a was appropriately placed but, for the life of me, I cannot see what's special about the placement of the others?