A number refuse to admit Conservative leanings (8)

I believe the answer is:

tendency

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'a number refuse to admit conservative leanings' is the definition.
I can't tell whether this definition defines the answer.

'a number refuse to admit conservative' is the wordplay.
'a number' becomes 'ten' (ten is a number).
'refuse' becomes 'deny' (synonyms).
'to admit' means one lot of letters goes inside another.
'conservative' becomes 'C' (UK political abbreviation).
'deny' placed around 'c' is 'dency'.
'ten'+'dency'='TENDENCY'

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for tendency that I've seen before include "Predisposition" , "Inclination or trend" , "Likelihood - inclination" , "Propensity, intensity" , "Proclivity" .)

I've seen this clue in The Times.

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