John Belcher (politician)
Encyclopedia
John William Belcher was a British
Labour Party
politician, the first to resign in disgrace over a political scandal.
by the Railway Clerks Association. He was elected as Member of Parliament
(MP) for the Sowerby constituency
in West Yorkshire
, defeating the sitting Conservative
MP Malcolm McCorquodale
.
In 1946, he was appointed to a junior ministerial post in the government of Clement Attlee
, as Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Trade
. Belcher was keen to win support for the government in the business community and networked widely, coming into contact with fraud
ster, illegal immigrant and undischarged bankrupt Sidney Stanley
. Stanley held himself out to the business community as a "fixer" who could obtain governmental favours for a fee. He arranged gifts for Belcher including a suit
, a cigarette case and holiday in Margate
, alongside entertainment at various sporting events. He did not pass on the cash he received from such as Harry Sherman, a football pool promoter who was facing prosecution and was seeking government intervention.
An enquiry led by Sir George Lynskey
subjected Belcher to searching investigation by Attorney-General Sir Hartley Shawcross. The enquiry concluded that Belcher had been influenced in his conduct as a minister and the police were of the view that he could be charged though Shawcross argued that a prosecution would not be in the public interest so long as Belcher resigned. Businessman and World War II
internee
Robert Liversidge
was also implicated but exonerated of all wrongdoing.
In 1949, he resigned from government and from Parliament
. He was the first Labour politician to resign over questions of propriety, In his farewell speech to the House of Commons, he said " I have not at any time in the course of my official duties been conscious of any deviation from the path of morality or rectitude. When the tumult and shouting have died, when the Tribunal and its Report have faded out of the memories of most people, I shall still have to live with my conscience because in my conscience lies the whole truth." The Prime Minister, Clement Attlee, said "The whole House is conscious of the terrible tragedy which has overtaken him. He has spoken with dignity and courage."
Belcher returned to work as a railway clerk, later becoming an Assistant Goods Agent. He suffered ill health and died in 1964 at the age of 59 years.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Labour Party
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
politician, the first to resign in disgrace over a political scandal.
Political career
A railway clerk, he was sponsored as a candidate at the 1945 general electionUnited Kingdom general election, 1945
The United Kingdom general election of 1945 was a general election held on 5 July 1945, with polls in some constituencies delayed until 12 July and in Nelson and Colne until 19 July, due to local wakes weeks. The results were counted and declared on 26 July, due in part to the time it took to...
by the Railway Clerks Association. He was elected as Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
(MP) for the Sowerby constituency
Sowerby (UK Parliament constituency)
Sowerby was a county constituency centred on the village of Sowerby in Calderdale, West Yorkshire. It returned one Member of Parliament to the House of Commons of the Parliament of the United Kingdom.-History:...
in West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire
West Yorkshire is a metropolitan county within the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England with a population of 2.2 million. West Yorkshire came into existence as a metropolitan county in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972....
, defeating the sitting Conservative
Conservative Party (UK)
The Conservative Party, formally the Conservative and Unionist Party, is a centre-right political party in the United Kingdom that adheres to the philosophies of conservatism and British unionism. It is the largest political party in the UK, and is currently the largest single party in the House...
MP Malcolm McCorquodale
Malcolm McCorquodale, 1st Baron McCorquodale
Malcolm Stewart McCorquodale, 1st Baron McCorquodale of Newton PC was a British businessman and Conservative politician.-Background and education:...
.
In 1946, he was appointed to a junior ministerial post in the government of Clement Attlee
Clement Attlee
Clement Richard Attlee, 1st Earl Attlee, KG, OM, CH, PC, FRS was a British Labour politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1945 to 1951, and as the Leader of the Labour Party from 1935 to 1955...
, as Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Trade
Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Trade
The Parliamentary Secretary to the Board of Trade in the United Kingdom was a member of Parliament assigned to assist the Board of Trade and its President with administration and liaison with Parliament. It replaced the Vice-President of the Board of Trade....
. Belcher was keen to win support for the government in the business community and networked widely, coming into contact with fraud
Fraud
In criminal law, a fraud is an intentional deception made for personal gain or to damage another individual; the related adjective is fraudulent. The specific legal definition varies by legal jurisdiction. Fraud is a crime, and also a civil law violation...
ster, illegal immigrant and undischarged bankrupt Sidney Stanley
Sidney Stanley
Sidney Stanley was a Jewish Polish émigré to the UK who became a businessman of precarious ethics before claiming to be a contact man, able to influence politicians and civil servants in return for cash bribes, claims that led to a...
. Stanley held himself out to the business community as a "fixer" who could obtain governmental favours for a fee. He arranged gifts for Belcher including a suit
Suit (clothing)
In clothing, a suit is a set of garments made from the same cloth, consisting of at least a jacket and trousers. Lounge suits are the most common style of Western suit, originating in the United Kingdom as country wear...
, a cigarette case and holiday in Margate
Margate
-Demography:As of the 2001 UK census, Margate had a population of 40,386.The ethnicity of the town was 97.1% white, 1.0% mixed race, 0.5% black, 0.8% Asian, 0.6% Chinese or other ethnicity....
, alongside entertainment at various sporting events. He did not pass on the cash he received from such as Harry Sherman, a football pool promoter who was facing prosecution and was seeking government intervention.
An enquiry led by Sir George Lynskey
George Lynskey
Sir George Justin Lynskey was an English judge, particularly remembered for his role in investigating the political scandal that led to the eponymous Lynskey tribunal.-Early life:...
subjected Belcher to searching investigation by Attorney-General Sir Hartley Shawcross. The enquiry concluded that Belcher had been influenced in his conduct as a minister and the police were of the view that he could be charged though Shawcross argued that a prosecution would not be in the public interest so long as Belcher resigned. Businessman and World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
internee
Internment
Internment is the imprisonment or confinement of people, commonly in large groups, without trial. The Oxford English Dictionary gives the meaning as: "The action of 'interning'; confinement within the limits of a country or place." Most modern usage is about individuals, and there is a distinction...
Robert Liversidge
Robert Liversidge
Robert William Liversidge , formerly Jacob Perlsweig, was a British Jewish businessman, whose activities sometimes attracted the attention of the police and intelligence services, a reputed spy, and subject of a cause célèbre as an internee in World War II Britain.-Early life:Liversidge's parents,...
was also implicated but exonerated of all wrongdoing.
In 1949, he resigned from government and from Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...
. He was the first Labour politician to resign over questions of propriety, In his farewell speech to the House of Commons, he said " I have not at any time in the course of my official duties been conscious of any deviation from the path of morality or rectitude. When the tumult and shouting have died, when the Tribunal and its Report have faded out of the memories of most people, I shall still have to live with my conscience because in my conscience lies the whole truth." The Prime Minister, Clement Attlee, said "The whole House is conscious of the terrible tragedy which has overtaken him. He has spoken with dignity and courage."
Belcher returned to work as a railway clerk, later becoming an Assistant Goods Agent. He suffered ill health and died in 1964 at the age of 59 years.