Small department so upset with rivals at the table, resign (4,4)
I believe the answer is:
step down
'resign' is the definition.
(I've seen this before)
'small department so upset with rivals at the table' is the wordplay.
I cannot really see how this works, but
'small' could be 's' (abbreviation - e.g. clothes size) and 's' is located in the answer.
'department' could be 'd' (abbreviation eg in MOD Ministry of Defence) and 'd' is found in the answer.
'with' could be 'w' (abbreviation) and 'w' is found in the answer.
'at' could be 'on' (location) and 'on' is present in the remaining letters.
'the' could be 't' (the is pronounced as a 't' sound in some dialects) and 't' is found within the answer.
This may be the basis of clue (or it may be nonsense).
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for step down that I've seen before include "Get off one's soap-box" , "Give up office" , "Withdraw from" , "decrease in output" , "Give up or retire from a position" .)