The Green Party leader, Zack Polanski, is facing a formal standards investigation after he admitted failing to pay council tax while living on a narrowboat for three years in east London. The controversy has escalated as both the Conservative and Labour parties referred Mr Polanski to the Greater London Authority's (GLA) monitoring office regarding his council tax arrangements.
Formal Complaint Lodged
The GLA's watchdog has confirmed receipt of the complaints and will assess whether to launch a formal investigation into whether the Green leader breached standards by failing to pay the required rates. In email records seen by The Times, the standards officer stated they are treating the parties' correspondence as a 'formal complaint under the GLA's standards regime.' They added that a monitoring officer will consider complaints regarding 'the conduct of elected members' in accordance with the approved GLA member code of conduct complaints procedure. The process will include an initial assessment to determine if an investigation is necessary.
Details of the Allegations
Mr Polanski, 43, was registered on the electoral roll at a building in a marina where he kept his narrowboat, named The Olympian, and had post delivered and laundry collected there. The boat was recently advertised for sale for £100,000, but the listing was mysteriously withdrawn after his council tax arrangements were questioned earlier this month. Despite the advertisement referring to the narrowboat as his 'amazing home' over the past three years, Mr Polanski initially maintained that he had not lived there permanently. This admission suggests that the Green Party misled the press when officials previously claimed that Mr Polanski only stayed on the boat 'occasionally'.
Political Reactions
Mr Polanski has faced criticism from political rivals. Labour chair Anna Turley reported him to City Hall authorities earlier this month, questioning whether he had broken the law by failing to declare his council tax arrears. A letter seen by the Mail stated: 'Mr Polanski appears to have failed to comply with the provisions of the Local Government Finance Act 1992 while holding elected office as an Assembly Member.' Neil Garratt, leader of the City Hall Conservatives, commented: 'Zack's had plenty to say about other people not paying tax, but now it seems he was voting on Londoners' council tax bills without paying his own. No politician is above the law, no matter how good an actor, or ignorant of the law they may be. His story keeps changing, but if he's broken the law then City Hall authorities should report him to the police and Scotland Yard should investigate, as the public will want answers.' Tory chairman Kevin Hollinrake also weighed in, accusing Mr Polanski of 'staggering hypocrisy', adding: 'Zack Polanski cannot lecture families across the country about paying more when he apparently wouldn't even meet his own obligations in full. The British public will see this for exactly what it is. One rule for Zack Polanski, another for everyone else.'
Legal and Financial Implications
Government guidance states that council tax is payable if a boat is a person's 'sole or main residence'. However, analysis by tax lawyer Dan Neidle from Tax Policy Associates found that Mr Polanski and his partner's boat was not registered for council tax at the marina, despite another boat there previously being registered. The boat and mooring would be rated as Band A, meaning Mr Polanski could owe a total sum of council tax for three years of about £4,000, according to the analysis.
Mr Polanski's Response
Mr Polanski has since apologised for the 'unintentional mistake' and said he had 'immediately taken steps' to pay any outstanding amount. A Green Party spokesman reiterated that Mr Polanski had 'immediately taken steps to pay any council tax he may be found to owe'. The spokesman added: '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. For security reasons, we do not comment publicly on Zack's address. There have recently been two serious incidents which have been reported to the police and are under investigation.' The GLA stated: 'The monitoring officer has received two complaints that Zack Polanski breached the Greater London Authority's members' Code of Conduct. Those complaints are being considered under the GLA's usual process. It would not be appropriate to comment further while this process is ongoing.'
