Zack Polanski has been cleared of wrongdoing over his houseboat council tax, but Conservative critics have accused him of a 'cavalier attitude' to taxation. The Green Party leader was referred to officials at London's City Hall after it emerged he failed to pay council tax on the boat he lived on.
Cleared of Misconduct
Officials ruled that Mr Polanski had not broken the code of conduct for members of the Greater London Assembly, as the breach occurred outside his capacity as an Assembly Member. The verdict did little to quell Conservative fury.
Conservative Criticism
Neil Garratt, the Tory Assembly Member for Croydon and Sutton, said: "Throughout this entire sad saga, Mr Polanski has avoided consequences the same way he avoided council tax: through happy accidents and gaps in legislation." He added: "It is beyond parody that a left wing politician who will take to the stage to demand other people pay their share of taxes, has then gone home and not paid his own or endeavoured to find out what tax he owes."
Mr Garratt said: "When a politician can have such a cavalier attitude with his CV, or even something as simple as where he lives, it does a disservice to politics. I hope he will reflect on the road that has led him to this point."
Background of the Row
The row erupted after reports that Mr Polanski may not have paid council tax on his narrowboat for three years, despite an advert to sell the vessel describing it as the couple's 'amazing home' for that period. The Green Party stated that Mr Polanski had "immediately taken steps to pay any council tax he may be found to owe."
A spokesman for Mr Polanski said: "The Monitoring Officer for the Greater London Authority has conducted an independent inquiry into the complaints made against Mr Polanski and decided to take no further action. We therefore consider this matter closed."
