Polanski Cleared in Tax Row
GLA Clears Zack Polanski in Houseboat Council Tax Dispute, Citing Personal Conduct
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Key Points
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Evening Standard reported the pressure on Polanski included questions about whether the houseboat had been his primary residence for three years and that the council-tax bill could be “up to £4,000” to Waltham Forest town hall.
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The GLA monitoring officer’s conclusion was accompanied by explicit wording: “no further action needs to be taken with this complaint” because the conduct “falls outside the scope of the Code” and the member “was not acting in an official capacity.”
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A Daily Mail account said the investigation checked whether Polanski breached the members’ code (including the Nolan Principles), but the investigator concluded his tax affairs did not “fall within an official capacity” and therefore were not regulated.
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That same report said legal opinion emphasized that the codebook applies only to conduct “undertaken in an official capacity,” adding that “private behaviour is outside its scope unless there is a sufficient link to the members' public role.”
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MyLondon reported Garratt argued the issue could be connected to Polanski’s official role because, as a London Assembly Member, he had “the capacity to influence and set the level of council tax… via the mayoral precept” when voting on the Mayor’s budget.
The Greater London Authority has cleared Green Party London Assembly leader Zack Polanski of any misconduct over his failure to pay council tax on a houseboat in East London. The GLA monitoring officer ruled there was "no further action" needed because Polanski's tax arrangements were a private matter and fell "outside the scope of the Code," according to MyLondon.
The complaint, filed by Conservative Assembly member Neil Garratt, alleged Polanski may have gone up to three years without paying council tax despite being registered to vote at a marina in Waltham Forest. The potential back-tax bill was estimated at up to £4,000, according to Evening Standard.
GLA Ruling Hinges on "Official Capacity" Legal Test
The monitoring officer's decision rested on a strict reading of the law. Under the Localism Act 2011, the GLA's code of conduct only applies when a member acts "in an official capacity." The officer concluded Polanski's tax affairs did not meet that threshold. As Daily Mail reported, the legal opinion was clear: "private behaviour is outside its scope unless there is a sufficient link to the members' public role."
The ruling also checked whether Polanski breached the Nolan Principles — the basic standards expected of public officials. The investigator found no violation. Polanski's side said he "moved promptly to pay any council tax he owed" once the discrepancy came to light, framing the incident as a misunderstanding of complex houseboat residency rules rather than deliberate evasion, according to Evening Standard.
Garratt Argues Tax Role Creates a Direct Public Link
Neil Garratt rejected the ruling and called it an "extraordinary loophole." His core argument: Polanski votes on the Mayor's annual budget, which includes the mayoral precept — the portion of council tax that funds the GLA. Garratt told MyLondon that saying Polanski's own tax status has "no link to his official role is, I think, an insult to every Londoner who pays their tax on time."
Garratt was the primary complainant. He argued that as a London Assembly Member, Polanski had "the capacity to influence and set the level of council tax" through his budget votes. The Conservatives had also used the tax allegations as a key attack line during the May 2024 local election campaign, in which Polanski was re-elected.
Three Years at a Marina, Zero Council Tax Records
The allegations centred on Polanski's houseboat moored at a Waltham Forest marina. Under council rules, a fixed mooring generally triggers a Band A council tax bill. Polanski was registered to vote at the marina address for roughly three years, yet no matching council tax record existed, according to Evening Standard. The estimated unpaid bill stood at up to £4,000.
Houseboat tax rules are genuinely complex. "Continuous cruisers" — boats with no fixed mooring — typically pay no council tax but face higher Canal and River Trust licence fees. Residents with a permanent mooring, like Polanski's, are generally liable. The Green Party said the rules were opaque and that the issue was resolved as soon as the council identified a liability.
Ruling Sets a High Bar for Future GLA Conduct Cases
The decision reinforces how narrow the GLA's powers are when it comes to members' personal lives. The monitoring officer's wording was explicit: conduct that falls outside official capacity simply cannot be regulated under the current code. Daily Mail noted the legal opinion confirmed this applies even when the private behaviour involves an issue — like tax — that is directly relevant to the member's public duties.
For the Greens, the political fallout may outlast the legal verdict. The party regularly campaigns for higher public spending and tax fairness. Critics say the image of its London leader going years without paying a local tax bill hands opponents a ready-made "hypocrisy" attack. Garratt vowed to keep pressing the issue, while Polanski's office called the complaint politically motivated and said the matter is now closed.
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