Labour has urged London assembly officials to investigate the Green party leader, Zack Polanski, after he admitted that he may have failed to pay the correct council tax while living on a London houseboat.
Polanski faced mounting questions over whether the houseboat, moored in east London, was his primary residence. A spokesperson for his party described the situation as an “unintentional mistake” and said Polanski had “immediately taken steps” to pay any tax owed.
Anna Turley, the chair of the Labour party, has written to the London assembly to call for an investigation into whether Polanski, as an elected member of that body, breached the law and the code of conduct. She cited section 106 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, which requires public office holders who are two months or more in arrears on council tax to declare that fact at meetings and prohibits them from voting on certain financial matters.
A Green party spokesperson said: “Until relatively recently, Zack was living on a houseboat, which came with its own unique practical circumstances and considerations. He has immediately taken steps to pay any council tax he may be found to owe. Zack apologises sincerely for the unintentional mistake.”
The intervention from Turley places new pressure on Polanski, whose party has been celebrating historic breakthroughs in elections last week, largely at the expense of Labour. Kevin Hollinrake, the chair of the Conservative party, accused Polanski of “staggering hypocrisy”.
