# Claire Darke

Claire Darke is a British politician who served as Mayor of Wolverhampton from 2019 to 2021, holding the distinction of being the longest continuously serving female mayor in the city's history. First elected the councillor for Park Ward in 2008 as a Liberal Democrat before switching to the Labour Party in 2011, she currently serves as an Independent, having resigned from the Labour Party in 2024. Darke was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2025 New Year Honours.

## Quotes

* Feminism is, by its very nature, about the validation of difference and Otherness - the female as 'the first step on the road along abnormality'. All I am doing is arguing that we go down that road a little further and pick up a few more allies and friends; if for no other reason than the fact that half of the disabled community are our sisters.
** In chapter titled 'Abortion and Disability: Is That Different?', in Swimming against the tide : feminist dissent on the issue of abortion. Kennedy, Angela, 1963-. Dublin, Ireland: Open Air. 1997. pp. 67–74. ISBN 1851822674.
* The ideological driven philosophy of the Conservatives that 'if we do not legally have to do it - don't do it at all' is the opposite of what any fair, equal and just society should be.
** After quitting the Liberal Democrats to become the first City Council in the UK to see a local coalition collapse due to disillusionment after the 2010 United Kingdom general election and the formation of the national Conservative-Liberal Democrat coalition. Express and Star, 13 September 2010.
* We [Wolverhampton] have been a city for 19 years and they need to catch up. Are they that out of touch that they did not bother to look it up?
** From an interview on Wolverhampton being chosen as the launch location for Town of the Year. The Guardian, 9 January 2020
* What is certain is that disability, the wheelchair, is often much more fascinating than the dullness of the ordinary, i.e., the 'normal'.
** In the book, Threshold - Disability and the Home. p. 45. ISBN 9781739813918. 2023.
* The Labour Party has strayed from the core values I once shared with the Party. My political beliefs prevent me from compromising my principles for a party that appears to have none. The democratic fabric of the Labour Party has been compromised under your leadership, Keir Starmer, becoming increasingly autocratic that marginalises diverse voices, especially those of women, people of colour, Muslims, and Jews. This betrayal of democratic ideals, along with the party's major shift towards antisemitism and islamophobia, is unacceptable.
** Ex-mayor criticises Starmer in resignation letter BBC News, 24 June 2024.
* The Labour Party’s commitment to continued austerity and Brexit will further undermine jobs, education, and opportunities in our city. This abandonment of the working class is inexcusable.
** Ex-mayor criticises Starmer in resignation letter BBC News, 24 June 2024.
* The Labour Party's stance on Palestine is morally wrong and ignores the suffering of the Palestinian people. I support the United Nations and the UN Human Rights Council calls for an immediate and permanent ceasefire, as well as an immediate ban on arms sales to Israel as well as sanctions.
** Ex-mayor criticises Starmer in resignation letter BBC News, 24 June 2024.
* This honour is not just for me, but for Wolverhampton itself—a city of resilience, creativity, and community spirit. It belongs to every individual and organisation that works tirelessly to make our city a better place.
** On recieving her MBE in the New Year Honours 2025. City of Wolverhampton Council 3 January 2025