I'm sorry but I'm really stuck on all of these... any help would be appreciated...
1 Nature of appeal from annoying so-and-so holding belief ultimately I ignored (8)
3 Eyes up elevated pitch section (5)
8 Work break when first associate becomes officious, initially (8)
14 In the past conquers the Spanish, intercepting new arrivals (6)
16 Leaderless guys making manoeuvres little by little (5)
18 Old dates got together with a beer after early closing (8 two words)
21 American city bird and cuckoo due for freedom (8)
23 Escorting Queen in rising ground (8)
24 Register resident with old European exchange (6)
31 Lightly cut sink, removing middle (4)
32 Team starts to apply navigating geographically in Chinese river (5)
I think that the answer after manipulation to number 3 is "leears"including the extra A, leers = eyes up, reel = elevated pitch ie reversed and s = section.
However I have found references to leears, but I don't have a Chambers