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 had 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 now 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 he was bound to.
The Green party had previously told the Times newspaper 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 says a person may be liable for council tax on a boat if it is their “sole or main” residence.
On Monday, 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 Green party has said that it does not comment publicly on the party leader’s address for security reasons, adding that there had been two serious incidents, which had been reported to the police and were under investigation.
However, 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.
In a letter to the monitoring officer of the Greater London authority – which comprises the mayor of London and the 25 London assembly members – she cited section 106 of the Local Government Finance Act 1992, which requires public office holders including GLA members who are two months or more in arrears on their council tax to declare that fact at meetings considering certain financial matters. It also prohibits them from voting on such matters.
She called for an investigation into whether Polanski had attended any relevant meetings since 2023.
Turley also suggested that there appeared to have been a breach of the GLA code of conduct and the Nolan principles, particularly honesty, integrity, accountability and openness.
The Green party has been contacted for comment. The Times last week reported seeing 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.”
The Daily Mail separately reported that Polanski was registered to vote at a building near the marina, which he is also said to have used as a mailing address.
Dan Neidle, a tax lawyer and founder of Tax Policy Associates, analysed Polanski’s situation this week and wrote: “If the boat was in fact Mr Polanski’s ‘sole or main residence’ then he and/or his partner should have registered for, and paid, council tax for those three years.”
Kevin Hollinrake, the chair of the Conservative party, has accused Polanski of “staggering hypocrisy”. “A man who wants to hike taxes for millions has failed to pay his own council tax properly,” he added.
