John Belcher (politician)

John William Belcher (2 August 1905 – 26 October 1964) was a British Labour Party politician, the first to resign in disgrace over a political scandal.

A railway clerk, he was sponsored as a candidate at the 1945 general election 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 fraudster, 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.

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