Green Party leader Zack Polanski has been cleared by the Greater London Authority (GLA) following a complaint over his failure to pay council tax on a houseboat in Hackney. The GLA monitoring officer announced on Thursday that "no further action" was needed, stating the complaint "relates to the member's personal living arrangements" and "does not have a sufficient connection to his role as an assembly member."
Conservative Assembly Member Neil Garratt had filed a formal grievance against Polanski, alleging a breach of the Nolan Principles and the GLA code of conduct. Garratt argued that Polanski's tax avoidance was relevant because, as an assembly member, he votes on the mayor's budget, which sets council tax levels for Londoners.
Polanski, however, dismissed the complaint as "politically motivated and not made in good faith." His lawyers noted the grievance was "based on assumptions rather than established facts" and should be viewed in a broader political context. Polanski maintained that he believed any charges for mooring, including council tax, were covered by his fees and insisted there was no intention to evade payment.
Garratt responded, saying, "Throughout this entire sad saga, Mr Polanski has avoided consequences the same way he avoided council tax: through happy accidents and gaps in legislation." He added, "It is beyond parody that a left-wing politician who will take to the stage to demand other people pay their share of taxes, has then gone home and not paid his own."
Previously, a Green Party spokesperson stated that Polanski had "taken steps to pay any council tax he may be found to owe" and apologized sincerely for the unintentional mistake.