Crossword Genius

Vacant secretariat, a politician’s hallmark! (5)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

stamp

'hallmark' is the definition.
(I've seen this before)

'vacant secretariat a politician's' is the wordplay.
'vacant' suggests removing the centre.
'politician' becomes 'mp' (Member of Parliament).
'secretariat' with its centre removed is 'st'.
'st'+'a'+'mp'='STAMP'

(Other definitions for stamp that I've seen before include "cast?" , "Official mark; bang (foot)" , "Bring one's foot down" , "Bring foot down hard" , "contributions?" .)

I've seen this clue in The Hindu.
Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.