[1] Active in the local community, Clarke volunteered with probation services and was a trainee preacher at Roscoe Methodist Church.
[1] He established the United Caribbean Association, along with the founder of Leeds West Indian Carnival, Arthur France.
[2] Clarke was elected to represent the Chapel Allerton ward in 1980, becoming the first African-Caribbean councillor in Leeds.
[4][5] Within three years of being elected, Clarke and his fellow-councillors introduced 220 new houses to the area, consistent street-cleaning, homes for the elderly, new nursery units and support for small businesses.
[1] In 2016 Clarke was appointed an Honorary Alderman of Leeds in recognition of his work in the city.