As a regular volunteer for the Isle of Man Foodbank, I think it is important to ensure that any Foodbank clients do not think that I represent the organisation in a political capacity. There is no nexus between who anyone supports politically and who receives support from the Foodbank.

As a result, I have instituted a simple protocol for maintaining the separation of my role as an Isle of Man Foodbank volunteer and my role as a candidate for Tynwald: I will not proactively visit as a candidate any person that I know to be a Foodbank client on the same day that I am volunteering for the Isle of Man Foodbank.

So, for example, if I volunteer for the Foodbank on Thursday, then while I’m volunteering, I won’t display any campaigning material on my vehicle or associate that with me dropping food parcels off. Similarly, while I might canvass food bank recipients on other days (just in the ordinary course of events) I won’t do that on the same day that I am dropping off food parcels.

Some fellow volunteers asked whether I would continue to volunteer for the Isle of Man Food Bank if I was elected to Tynwald – I expect that I would continue to do so.

Michael Josem is a long-term consumer advocate, most prominently as a global leader in combating fraud in the online gambling industry. He was in part the inspiration for the 20th Century Fox Movie, Runner Runner, starring Ben Affleck and Justin Timberlake.

Josem has over a decade of experience as a senior business leader working across various high-tech and online industries, and takes action to build a better community. His primary volunteer roles include service for the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, and Graih, the homelessness charity.