In Shock by Hubris

Hubris gave us a nicely themed puzzle with some easy clues and a tricky finale. The correct letters in misprints spelled “THE BEST CLUB IN LONDON – MR TWEMLOW”. This was a quote from Dickens in Our Mutual Friend, in which Mr Twemlow was describing the House of Commons. Solvers then had to highlight those parts of the completed grid that are the essential characteristics of the subject of the description, 33 cells in all. Gregson looked at a plan of the House of Commons to ascertain that SPEAKER and MACE were in the correct positions. MPS could be seen on either side of the House. Taking alternate letters you could also highlight LABOUR and OPPOSITION, suitably placed in the plan. The  title  could be explained  as indicating that  the  abbreviation of the House  of  Commons  (HOC) can be found  in the word  SHOCK.

Corrected misprints in clues are shown in [ ]

Across
1 Dies in good esteem (4)
ODES [diTs] Hidden
4 Sneak can give offence to those hearing of it (4)
PEAK Homophone PIQUE
7 Destroy a recording ages before the end of tape (5)
ERASE ERAS (ages) + (tap)E
11 Foul stuff leads to falls in long term wealth (5)
FILTH [Health] Initial letters Falls In Long Term Health
12 Cut in front of nose covered in blood (6)
IGNORE I (in) + N(ose) in GORE
13 Stylist is in French run from east to west (7)
FRISEUR [ruE] IS in FR (French) + RUE (reversed)
16 Label depicts Italy surrounded by grass ... (5)
NOISE [Babel] I (Italy) in NOSE
18 ... and the front half of a car? (3)
DIE [End] DIE(sel)
19 A paragon of old warmed ale, so it is said (5)
PEARL Homophone PURL
20 Dubious cheek apparent in a Scotsman, say, losing his head (8)
ELLIPTIC LIP in (c)ELTIC
22 Moistens lopped branch before change of use (6)
IMBUES (l)IMB + Anagram USE
25 Froth on the end of any pimple (5)
BARMY [Simple] BARM + (an)Y
26 Criterion or Mermaid showing the ordinary stage (4)
NORM [ordinary staTe] Hidden
27 Scottish usher in a church in the outskirts of Manchester (5)
MACER A CE (church) in M(anchste)R
29 Fails from end of jump in metric horsepower (4)
PIPS (jum)P + I  (in) + PS
31 Excavate a grooved bone in London area (5)
STOPE [grooved Cone] TOP in SE (south-east of England)
33 Dad plastered in leftovers meat (6)
REPAST [meaL] PA in REST
34 Falsify altered estimate with a change of point (8)
MISSTATE Anagram ESTIMATE changing E to S
38 Give access to large European dock (5)
GOOSE [dUck] GO + OS (out-size) + E (European)
41 Strange cases came to me once (3)
RAN [came to Be] Hidden
43 Tram with a goddess no longer an ornament (5)
DECOR [trIm] DECORATE less ATE
44 Standard cut for a plait (7)
PARSNIP [plaNt] PAR (standard) + SNIP
45 Energy in petrol is variable when converted into a hypothetical substance (6)
PROTYL Anagram PETROL swapping E (energy) for Y (variable)
46 Start battle for home rule in disreputable resort (5)
DRIVE [start battle for hoLe] R in DIVE
47 Two letters finally necessary for a fee (5)
ENEMY [fOe] En + EM (2 letters) + (necessar)Y
48 Catches oriental ornaments with musical instruments missing (4)
NETS NETSUKES less UKES
49 Tore heart out of despatch (4)
SPED SPE(e)ED
 
Down
1 Start swift turn to result in a break? (7)
OFFSPIN
2 Perhaps a chart's helping finally in extremely calamitous surroundings (5)
DIRGE [chaNt]
3 Lamb half lies in ditch (4)
ELIA LI(es) in EA
4 Hates inherent in European politician turning up in Cork (7)
PHELLEM [haDes] HELL in MEP reversed
5 Priest leaves beginning to escape with cunning (5)
ELUDE PRELUDE less PR (priest)
6 Light-heartedly I fly, with no onset of fear, following a light breeze (6)
AIRILY  AIR + I (f)LY
7 Nine gathered round united in boredom (5)
ENNUI U in Anagram NINE
8 Left perhaps a shrub after pruning (4)
ROOM [lOft] (b)ROOM
9 Beat, not hot or cold, in a boisterous way (5)
ARIOT [beaN] HARICOT (bean) less H & C
10 Need leaderless replacement for, say, a minor (6)
EGENCY (r)EGENCY
14 Small people rob politicians without a bit of mercy (7)
SCRUMPS [Mob] SCRUM + MPs less M(ercy)
15 Retailed lines in fish (6)
SELLER [retaileR] LL (lines) in SEER
17 Containers holding a thousand stinks (6)
SKIMPS [stinTs] M in SKIPS
21 Muddled OAP's pup fringed with fine hair (7)
PAPPOUS Anagram OAP’S PUP
23 Way to work slab capable of spontaneous movement (6)
MOTILE MO (modus operandi) + tile
24 A female tearing garment fit for an expedition (6)
SAFARI [Wearing] A F in SARI
28 Heads confused gardeners short of space (7)
REGARDS [heEds] Anagram GARDENERS less EN (space)
30 Fixed basket under a stage (7)
STEPPED STEP + PED (basket)
31 Spear found in southern mire (6)
SMUDGE [sMear] S + MUDGE
32 Local shaft containing soft raw material (5)
STAPLE P (soft) in STALE
35 Curse involved in South American dolly? (5)
SUCRE [Lolly] Anagram CURSE
36 Common bread beginning to yeast (5)
TARTY  [brOad] TART + Y
37 When actors are about to perform? (5)
ENACT Hidden
39 Enclose nearly all of a Cornish town (5)
STIVE ST. IVE(s)
40 End of rising temper (4)
MOOD DOOM reversed
42 Cut fire safety devices up (4)
SNIP [Wire] PINS reversed