Prevents editor spinning the likes of Saddam (7)
I believe the answer is:
despots
'likes of saddam' is the definition.
I can't judge whether this definition defines the answer.
'prevents editor spinning' is the wordplay.
'prevents' becomes 'stops' (stopping is a kind of preventing).
'editor' becomes 'ed' (abbreviation).
'spinning' is a reversal indicator.
'stops'+'ed'='stopsed'
'stopsed' backwards is 'DESPOTS'.
'the' is the link.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for despots that I've seen before include "Tyrants" , "Autocrats" .)