At length, this creature maybe can do with half a banana (8)

(Source: London Evening Standard)

General meaning ⇒ a creature

"half a banana" ⇒ half of "banana" ⇒ either "ban" or "ana"

"maybe can do" ⇒ anagram of "can do" ⇒ e.g. "conda"

Answer ⇒ anaconda

Be equal in a game (5)

(Source: London Evening Standard)

General meaning ⇒ be equal ⇒ also, a word for a game

Answer ⇒ match

To a professional heavyweight, it's almost nothing! (6)

(Source: London Evening Standard)

General meaning ⇒ something that is "almost nothing"

"professional" ⇒ often shortened to "pro"

"heavyweight" ⇒ or "heavy weight" ⇒ e.g. a ton

Answer ⇒ proton

A score and a half! (6)

(Source: London Evening Standard)

"a score" ⇒ twenty

So: "a score and a half" ⇒ twenty, plus a half of twenty

Answer ⇒ thirty

How some like it, weather-wise (3)

(Source: London Evening Standard)

General meaning ⇒ weather that some people like

"How some like it" ⇒ aka "Some like it ___"?

Answer ⇒ hot ?

Discomfit seaman Wood (5)

(Source: London Evening Standard)

General meaning ⇒ to discomfit ⇒ to embarrass

"seaman" ⇒ the rank Able Seaman ⇒ abbreviated "AB"

"wood" ⇒ a type of tree ⇒ e.g. "ash"

Answer ⇒ abash

Frank had slightly more than Edith (7)

(Source: The Guardian)

A tricky one!

Need to consider who "Frank" and "Edith" might be ⇒ so, think of a famous Frank ⇒ Frank Sinatra

What did Frank Sinatra have slightly more of? ⇒ a line in a song maybe

Name a famous Frank Sinatra song ⇒ My Way

What line in that song might the clue refer to? ⇒ Regrets, I've had a few

So if Frank had "a few" and this is "slightly more" than Edith, how many did Edith have? ⇒ either one or none

Then who is Edith? ⇒ another singer?

How about Edith Piaf ⇒ who sang Non, je ne regrette rien ⇒ "No, I regret nothing"

So the answer must be: regrets

Hardly rare? (6)

(Source: London Evening Standard)

A straightforward clue: a word meaning both "hardly" and "rare"

Answer ⇒ scarce

Statesman who broke the Scottish heart? (4)

(Source: London Evening Standard)

General meaning ⇒ statesman ⇒ distinguished politician

"Scottish heart" ⇒ middle of "Scottish" ⇒ e.g. "Scottish"

"broke" ⇒ anagram of

Answer ⇒ Tito [?]

After starting school, is able to read (4)

(Source: London Evening Standard)

General meaning ⇒ to read

"starting school" ⇒ first letter or latters of "school" ⇒ e.g. "s"

"is able to" ⇒ or "can"

Answer ⇒ scan

Pat middle-men on the head! (4)

(Source: London Evening Standard)

General meaning ⇒ "on the head" ⇒ the top of the head?

"pat" ⇒ just the letters "pat"!

"middle-men" ⇒ the middle letter of "men" ⇒ "e"

Answer ⇒ pate

She upsets us at closing time (3)

(Source: London Evening Standard)

General meaning ⇒ "she" ⇒ hence a female name

"upsets us" ⇒ anagram of "us"

"closing time" ⇒ the last letter or letters of "time" ⇒ e.g. "time"

Answer ⇒ sue

Only a minority have noisy ways (3)

(Source: London Evening Standard)

General meaning ⇒ a minority

"noisy" ⇒ loud ⇒ in musical notation, forte ⇒ "f"

"ways" ⇒ some cardinal directions ⇒ e.g. east and west? ⇒ i.e. "ew"

Answer ⇒ few

Prod so as to make fall (4)

(Source: London Evening Standard)

General meaning ⇒ fall

"prod so as to make" ⇒ anagram of "prod"

Answer ⇒ drop

Able to read that tea can be made by the litre! (8)

(Source: London Evening Standard)

General meaning ⇒ able to read

"tea can be made" ⇒ anagram of "tea"

"by the litre" ⇒ the preceding put next to letters of "litre"

Answer ⇒ literate

Don't go south to finish up (4)

(Source: London Evening Standard)

"south" ⇒ simply "s"

"to" ⇒ simply the letters "to"

"finish up" ⇒ the last letter of "up" ⇒ "p"

General meaning ⇒ don't go ⇒ opposite of go?

Answer ⇒ stop

To infatuate, it's best to have love within (5)

(Source: London Evening Standard)

General meaning ⇒ to infatuate

"best to have love within" ⇒ "best" with "love" within ⇒ "love" as in the tennis score? (zero) ⇒ "best" with "o" inside

Answer ⇒ besot

It needs nothing more than pluck to break out of prison! (6)

(Source: London Evening Standard)

General meaning ⇒ prison

"nothing" ⇒ zero, or "o"

"pluck, to break out" ⇒ anagram of "pluck"

Hence ⇒ "o" plus an anagram of "pluck"

Answer ⇒ lockup

Powder used in dental clinics (4)

(Source: London Evening Standard)

General meaning ⇒ a powder

"used in dental clinics" ⇒ a subset of "dental clinics" ⇒ e.g. "dental clinics"

Answer ⇒ talc

Garments derived from goats (5)

(Source: London Evening Standard)

General meaning ⇒ name of a garment, plural

"derived from goats" ⇒ an anagram of "goats"

Answer ⇒ togas

In Caerphilly, it's not really mountainous (5)

(Source: London Evening Standard)

General meaning ⇒ something that isn't really a mountain

"In Caerphilly" ⇒ a subset of "Caerphilly" ⇒ e.g. "Caerphilly"

Answer ⇒ hilly

Hate being unfairly tested (6)

(Source: London Evening Standard)

General meaning ⇒ hate

"unfairly tested" ⇒ anagram of "tested"

Answer ⇒ detest

Cars wrecked by a learner driver - the devil! (6)

(Source: London Evening Standard)

"!" ⇒ usually designates a familiar or slang term

"Cars wrecked" ⇒ an anagram of "cars"

"by a" ⇒ the preceding put next to the letter "a"

"learner driver" ⇒ in the UK learner drivers must display "L-plates" ⇒ hence "l"

General meaning ⇒ something similar in meaning to the exclamation "devil!"

Answer ⇒ rascal

Friend who made Palgrave less solemn? (3)

(Source: London Evening Standard)

General meaning ⇒ friend

"Palgrave less solemn" ⇒ another word for solemn? ⇒ "grave" ⇒ so "Palgrave" less "grave"?

Answer ⇒ pal

Chap who gives prisoners heart (3)

(Source: London Evening Standard)

General meaning ⇒ chap ⇒ a name for a man

"prisoners heart" ⇒ the middle letter or letters of "prisoners" ⇒ e.g. "prisoners"

Answer ⇒ son

Most recent part of the mine workings (3)

(Source: London Evening Standard)

General meaning ⇒ most recent

"part of the mine workings" ⇒ a subset of "the mine workings" ⇒ e.g. "the mine workings"

Answer ⇒ new

To Ann, he's a changed man (5)

(Source: London Evening Standard)

General meaning ⇒ a man, or a man's name

"To Ann [...] changed" ⇒ an anagram of "To Ann"

Answer ⇒ Anton

A bit of a cat (4)

(Source: London Evening Standard)

General meaning ⇒ "a bit of" ⇒ a word for a basic piece of something

"cat" ⇒ another word for cat? ⇒ e.g. a male cat ⇒ "tom"

"a cat" ⇒ consider as "a" plus the above "cat"

Answer ⇒ atom

Perform nonsense verse (5)

(Source: The Guardian)

General meaning ⇒ perform

"nonsense verse" ⇒ an anagram of "verse"

Answer ⇒ serve

Freely available for panto production (2, 3)

(Source: London Evening Standard)

General meaning ⇒ freely available

"panto production" ⇒ anagram of "panto"

Answer ⇒ on tap

Space for wild rapture, sweetheart! (8)

(Source: London Evening Standard)

"wild rapture" ⇒ an anagram of "rapture"

"sweetheart" ⇒ "heart" of "sweet" ⇒ the middle letter or letters of "sweet" ⇒ e.g. "e"

General meaning ⇒ space ⇒ i.e. a gap

Answer ⇒ aperture