London Assembly officials are considering an investigation into Green Party leader Zack Polanski after he admitted he may have failed to pay the correct council tax while living on a houseboat in east London. The Greater London Authority (GLA) monitoring officer has received a formal complaint from Labour Party chair Anna Turley, who alleges a potential breach of the members' code of conduct.
Polanski has faced questions over whether the houseboat was his primary residence. A Green Party spokesperson described the situation as an “unintentional mistake” and said Polanski had “immediately taken steps” to pay any tax owed. The party also told the Times that Polanski rented a room at another address where council tax was included in the rent and stayed on the boat only “occasionally”.
Government guidance states that a person may be liable for council tax on a boat if it is their “sole or main” residence. Waltham Forest Council has confirmed it launched an investigation into whether any council tax was owed on the mooring. The Times also reported an advertisement for the sale of the boat in which Polanski’s partner wrote: “We are moving to a house and so will sadly be leaving the gorgeous community behind.”
In her complaint, Turley 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. The monitoring officer is now assessing whether an investigation is required, with a decision expected after consulting two independent people outside the GLA.
A Green Party spokesperson said: “Zack is aware of complaints made by the Labour party and the Conservative party. He denies any wrongdoing and will cooperate fully with the official process to answer any queries.” A GLA spokesperson said it would not be appropriate to comment further while the process is ongoing.
