 Belcher readily accepted Stanley's claims that he could act as a bridge between the business community and the government, and the two established a friendship; Belcher would later describe Stanley as "interesting, amusing, generous".In the course of this friendship, Belcher was often the beneficiary of Stanley's generosity, in the form of much hospitality and various gifts.While many in the Labour Party at that time questioned the ethics of ministers or officials accepting even the smallest of gifts or favours, Belcher's view was more relaxed, an attitude that Stanley was able to exploit.