Green Party Leader's Houseboat Residency and Council Tax Issue
The Green Party has acknowledged that its leader, Zack Polanski, had been residing on a houseboat in London until recently and may have neglected to pay council tax associated with that residence.
In a statement provided to the BBC, a party spokesperson said that Polanski had "taken steps to pay any council tax he may be found to owe."
Zack apologises sincerely for the unintentional mistake.
Polanski has faced scrutiny regarding whether the houseboat, moored at a marina in Hackney, was his primary residence.
According to tax lawyer Dan Neidle, a boat is subject to council tax if it is used as a person's "sole or main residence." Neidle, who has examined the tax affairs of various politicians, investigated Polanski's case and wrote on his Tax Policy Associates website:
If, as seems likely, that was his main residence, then Mr Polanski and his partner should have paid council tax there.
The Times newspaper raised questions last week about whether Polanski had paid council tax on the boat over the past three years. The newspaper reported having seen an advertisement to sell the boat, in which Polanski's partner stated:
We are moving house and so will sadly be leaving the gorgeous community behind.
The Times also reported that the Green Party told them Polanski rented a room at a different London address where council tax was included in the rent, and that he only stayed on the boat "occasionally."
However, the newspaper noted that Polanski and his partner "appear in recent years to have stayed on a narrowboat at a marina," adding that a local laundrette had frequently done laundry for them from 2023 to 2025.
Polanski, along with several others believed to have boats at the marina, used a nearby building as a postal address. The Mail additionally reported that he was registered to vote at that address.
Green Party Response to Residence and Tax Queries
When the BBC sought clarification from the Green Party about Polanski's residence and whether he had paid the appropriate council tax, a party spokesperson responded:
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. For security reasons, we do not comment publicly on Zack's address.
