Cryptic crossword clue
Was the leader – having gagged Brown – made to take responsibility? 8

The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 8 letter word LUMBERED

I've seen this crossword clue in The Guardian
L
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M
B
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D

Buddy explains!

The straight part
We know that "made to take responsibility" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case made to take responsibility = lumbered.
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.

What does LUMBERED mean?

LUMBERED verb
  1. To move clumsily and heavily; to move slowly.
  2. (with with) To load down with things, to fill, to encumber, to impose an unwanted burden on
  3. To heap together in disorder.
  4. To fill or encumber with lumber.

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