When he's not sponging down war graves with unused sponges, working at the Foodbank, or being a Co-op Volunteer Worker (that's called part-time working in a shop to most normal people) Douglas East General Election candidate Michael Josem claims that his main employer is an organisation that appears to be both shadowy and hilarious in equal measures - the fake local think-tank known as the Manx Taxpayers Alliance.
We have previously raised questions about the Manx Piss-takers Alliance and its role in relation to Mr Josem but more importantly also potentially in relation to the Liberal Vannin Party - which is the party banner which Mr Josem is seeking election under. Our assumption being that if and when a party endorses a candidate it should probably be 100% comfortable with any and all other roles and affiliations that candidate has.
So what is the Manx Taxpayers Alliance?
Manx Taxpayers Alliance Limited is an Isle of Man company with the Company Reference Number 134420C and it is incorporated under the 1931 Companies Act as an IOM company that is limited by way of guarantee. IOM companies limited by guarantee have no authorised share capital like a normal company (so no register of shareholders exists). Instead of shareholders such companies have guarantee members who all sign up to pay a fixed amount when or if the company goes into liquidation. IOM guarantee companies are often used for charitable purposes or as the basis for not for profit organisations. Equally as they have no identifiable shareholders they are often used in a similar way to offshore Foundations to distribute and/or shield assets in jurisdictions that do not recognise the concept of trust law.
Noted associations of the Manx Taxpayers Alliance Limited
Mr MIchael Josem and one Mr Antony Nicholls are noted as being Directors of Manx Taxpayers Alliance Limited - Mr Nicholls also being a Director of Kelproperties (IOM) Limited which happens to own 24 North Quay (which is the registered office of Manx Taxpayers Alliance Limited) and which amongst a wide commercial property portfolio in both the IOM and the UK also seems to own and let apartments at Hillary Wharf on South Quay - a block of executive Douglas apartments where it is evident from his published manifesto that Mr Josem currently lives.
Kelproperties (IOM) Limited appears to be ultimately owned by IOM resident Mr Christopher Kelly who in 2009 was named by the Guardian as being a donor to the UK Taxpayers Alliance which received a donation of £80,000 from the Midlands Industrial Council (MIC) of which Mr Kelly was a member along with other notable Conservative donors such as Mr Tony Gallagher owner of the UK property group of the same name. The MIC was also reported to have donated £1,500,000 to the UK Conservative Party which prompted the Guardian to ask whether the Taxpayers Alliance was actually funded by ordinary taxpayers as it claimed or whether it was in fact a Conservative 'front' organisation.
The original Guardian story can be found here:
Are you keeping up at this stage as its all rather circuitous? Right back to the very building where Mr Josem resides in fact.
So we ask the question again regarding both funding and political affiliations and specifically whether the Liberal Vannin Party is aware that a conservative leaning organisation may well be funding the salary of one of its 2021 candidates? And we also ask Mr Josem why after cutting through all the smoke and mirrors do all roads seem to lead back to his own front door and, of course, the unanswered question of who is actually funding his salary while he canvasses?
We should make it 100% clear here that there are absolutely no accusations of impropriety regarding anyone named in the above. The structures are also entirely legitimate vehicles registered at the IOM Companies Registry. But the trail as it presents itself raises questions regarding potential or perceived conflicts that in the name of transparency probably do need to be cleared up so that Douglas East voters can make informed decisions. The Manx Taxpayers Alliance in particular demands transparency and accountability in government as one of its primary objectives and therefore we assume that it would also seek to practice what it preaches?
Since this write-up was originally published additional information has now been provided in the Manx Piss-takers Alliance Part Trois:
Pictured: Douglas East candidate Michael Josem looking rather glum outside properties advertised for sale or let on the Kelproperties (IOM) website
