Darke later took on various jobs, including positions at the Department of Social Security, Pickering & Phillips dental practice, and manufacturing giant James Walker's Lion Works.

During this period, she also pursued evening classes in first aid with St John's Ambulance and trained as a nurse, eventually working in the orthopaedic ward Frimley Park Hospital.

Darke eventually moving to Bilston after Claire securing a job as a live-in warden of a sheltered housing scheme for elderly people.

[14] Darke first entered politics in 2007 as an independent candidate for Park ward in the Wolverhampton City Council elections, driven by her opposition to the closure of the Compton Baths swimming pool.

[9][40] In her role, she has created the University of Wolverhampton Alumni Mayoral Scholarship Fund – a new venture to support local people into higher education.

[42][43] In August 2020, Darke was featured alongside local community groups in a case study on practices aimed at fostering regenerative development in ‘left behind places’.

[44] As one of her final acts as Mayor, she was instrumental in obtaining a Blue Plaque in memory of British immigrant rights activist Paulette Wilson, a member of the Windrush Generation.

The Centre is a cornerstone of the area’s local Caribbean community and was formerly the constituency office of Enoch Powell where the infamous Rivers of Blood speech was written.

[48] In her resignation letter, she criticized the party's stance on austerity, Brexit, and the Israel-Palestine conflict, particularly its position on Gaza, which she described as "morally wrong and ignores the suffering of the Palestinian people."

Darke also raised concerns about an increasingly autocratic culture within the party and called Labour's values as an "inexcusable abandonement of the working class".

[49] Her resignation was part of a broader trend of disillusionment among Labour members, particularly those who were critical of the party's shift to the right and its approach to international and domestic issues.

[50] In 'Swimming against the Tide: Feminist Dissent on the Issue of Abortion' which is a pivotal book in shaping discourse around anti-abortion feminism, she wrote a chapter titled 'Abortion and Disability: Is That Different?'

Her call to personally invite Liam Payne to reunite One Direction for a one-off show to support refugees from the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine garnered significant media attention.

[60][61] After the death of Elizabeth II, she described a previous visit to Buckingham Palace as energising a community spirit in her to enact positive change.

[13][73] Following this, Darke has curated exhibitions at the Museum of the Home, London and Wolverhampton Art Gallery about 'Disability and the Home: Toys and Games' and consequently wrote a book exploring the representation of disability in toys and popular culture, examining how these portrayals shape societal attitudes and reflect broader narratives of diversity, inclusion, and discrimination.

[80] Darke was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire in the 2025 New Year Honours for services to Local Government, to Disability and to Suicide Prevention.