2 above is wrong. Whoops. Try again:
2. Small animal said to be run over by learner driver

[rab] (1) is TAPER (TAP E.R.). Is (3) STRIP THE WILLOW? If so, I'm not sure why.

Pure French romance on the edge (8)
Twisted small mammal eats a chopped nut (6)

[Raak] Is the first one PURCHASE?

[Raak] I suppose the second could be TURNED but that would mean "red" was the small mammal... I suppose a "red squirrel" could work... also, RED hasn't actually eaten (fully enclosed) the chopped nut (TUN) so I'm probably wrong on that.

[Darren] No to both.

[Raak] Wow, must be a bad day for my brain.

[Raak] (1) Yes (3) No

[Raak] Your second one; is it PURFLING?

[Raak] Sorry, I meant the first one, of course.

[Darren] Yes.

[MF]DIVISION was of course correct, wd. I'm a little confused as to what has been solved and what is still outstanding : would someone like to summarise perhaps ?
Meanwhile, here's the next Blobbian clue : Presume the leader is back in place (8)