The Green Party leader Zack Polanski has been cleared in an investigation over claims he failed to pay council tax while living on a London houseboat.
Mr Polanski came under pressure last month to explain whether the houseboat had been his primary residence for three years and liable for the payment of up to £4,000 to Waltham Forest town hall. The Greater London Authority (GLA) launched a probe after receiving two complaints about his alleged misconduct.
However, on Thursday the GLA's monitoring officer stated that “no further action needs to be taken with this complaint”. The officer added: “This is because the conduct complained of falls outside the scope of the Code and the member was not acting in an official capacity.”
Conservative member of the London Assembly Neil Garratt had asked City Hall to look into whether Mr Polanski breached conduct rules and requested authorities formally investigate the claims. In a letter outlining his complaint, Mr Garratt asked for an assessment of whether Mr Polanski might have breached the GLA Code of Conduct.
Mr Garratt said in a statement: “People rightly expect senior politicians to follow the rules and pay the taxes they impose on others. If Mr Polanski paid all his council tax, why is he refusing to answer direct questions about when and where he paid it? I have asked the City Hall authorities to formally investigate these claims, as the public has a right to know the truth.”
This is a breaking news story, more to follow.
