An element of continued centralisation (3)
I believe the answer is:
tin
'an element' is the definition.
(tin is a kind of element)
'of continued centralisation' is the wordplay.
'of' indicates the answer is hidden within the clue.
'TIN' can be found hidden inside 'continued centralisation'.
(Other definitions for tin that I've seen before include "Kind of metal often used as food container" , "With copper, makes bronze" , "Silvery-white metal used in cans" , "Metal in Argentina" , "Silvery metallic element" .)