Across:
   1. Projects a certain look by promoting ultimate in vigilante gang (5)
   4. Bit of pride swallowed in pursuit of modish brood (8)
   8. Devious turd, on securing our leadership, becomes pompous (7)
   9. Ply more bits into repetitive structure (7)
  11. Cats, after losing first, getting second of eight? (9)
  12. Happy, for example, to be part of unsactioned warfare (5)
  13. Mean 17 ignoring cry of distress (4)
  14. see 1 down
  18. see 27
  20. It can be cruel on plump one ultimately (4)
  22. Patch of asphalt airstrip in Siberian mountains (5)
  24,21dn. Bit of Australia near 4 down, where upset admirals snitch about lies (finally!) (9 6)
  25. Questioned party's disastrous debut (7)
  26. There's a lot of it in large heavy vehicle when moving, i.e. train (7)
  27,18. Viler 17 con bred confusion, with omission in shocking story of October 2001 (8 9)
  28. Allied in crude disturbing turnaround (5)
Down:
   1,14ac. Plump one giggles about helping desperate seekers of 10 (6 9)
   2. Insult from polar opposites to "woke" characters upset about alien being forced back? (9)
   3. CIA leader in Dulles, upset, drove little boat backwards (7)
   4. With split from Britain done, Siam is second closest country to Australia (9)
   5. Made space for heads (5)
   6. Churchill perhaps upset about damaged doll (7)
   7. Turnaround for a Prime Minister, at crisis near 24 21 in August 2001 (5)
  10. Primarily Ruddock, easily fired up, guaranteed end of hope for asylum (6)
  15. Subscribe to ends, ruing machinations? (9)
  16. Threatened, with loss of identity implied (9)
  17. Basically he offensively weaponised a racist debate, and he won several elections (6)
  19. Bath is a little way off for those living there... funny ol' Brits! (7)
  20. Does 4 across Australian brew? (7)
  21. see 24 across
  23. First casualty of war? The first that is turned out for ugly leader in Reith! (5)
  24. Cried about brew (5)