The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 9 letter word MUSSOLINI
I've seen this crossword clue in Financial Times
M
U
S
S
O
L
I
N
I
More clues leading to the result MUSSOLINI
- I love very big problem coming up for dictator
- Fascist soul’s destroyed when crammed into compact vehicle
- Passed Italian car, with poor souls crammed inside
- Italian and American taking Spanish sun in brief clothing
- New-fangled limos in US for despotic figure
- A foreign dictator is traveling in U.S. limos
- Problem lifting lino’s bothered one supremo in the past
- Right-wing leader — poor soul’s in 60s’ wear!
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "supremo in the pas/t" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case supremo in the pas/t = mussolini.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.