He has immediately taken steps to pay any council tax he may be found to owe.
In a city where civic obligation is woven into the fabric of daily life, Zack Polanski — leader of Britain's Green Party — has found himself at odds with one of its most fundamental expressions: the council tax. For up to three years, the houseboat he called home in a Hackney marina appears to have gone untaxed, a quiet discrepancy that grew louder under journalistic scrutiny until an apology became unavoidable. The episode is less a story of dramatic wrongdoing than of the slow erosion that occurs when private arrangements go unexamined — and of the particular weight such lapses carry when the one responsible has made public accountability a cornerstone of their politics.
- Reporting by The Times cracked open a three-year gap between what the Green Party claimed about Polanski's living arrangements and what local evidence — laundry records, postal addresses, a telling property listing — strongly suggested.
- The party's initial defence, that Polanski only stayed on the boat occasionally while renting a tax-inclusive room elsewhere, collapsed under the weight of testimony from businesses near the marina who knew him as a regular, sustained presence.
- Tax lawyer Dan Neidle, who has scrutinised the finances of multiple politicians, concluded the evidence pointed clearly to the houseboat being Polanski's primary residence — and therefore subject to council tax obligations that appear to have gone unmet.
- Facing mounting pressure, the Green Party reversed course, acknowledged Polanski had been living on the boat until recently, and said he had moved swiftly to pay whatever tax may be owed — though the precise sum and repayment timeline remain undisclosed.
Zack Polanski, leader of the Green Party, has apologised after his party admitted he lived on a houseboat moored in a Hackney marina for several years without paying the council tax that would have been due if the vessel served as his primary residence — which, under British law, is the threshold that triggers the obligation.
The matter came to light through reporting by The Times, which obtained a property listing in which Polanski's partner described the couple as 'moving house' and leaving the marina community behind — language that implied a settled home rather than occasional use. The party's early response insisted Polanski rented a room elsewhere with council tax included in the rent, and that the boat was only used intermittently. That account did not survive scrutiny.
A laundrette near the marina told reporters it had regularly handled laundry for Polanski and his partner across a three-year stretch from 2023 to 2025. He had also used a nearby building as a postal address and was registered to vote there. Tax lawyer Dan Neidle reviewed the available evidence and concluded that if the boat was indeed his main home — as it appeared to be — council tax should have been paid.
The Green Party eventually acknowledged that Polanski had been living on the houseboat 'until relatively recently,' and said he had immediately taken steps to settle any amount owed, offering a sincere apology for what it called an unintentional mistake. Security concerns were cited as the reason his address had not been publicly confirmed.
The episode leaves open broader questions about how politicians' residency declarations and tax obligations are monitored — and carries a particular sting for a party whose identity is bound up with transparency and civic responsibility.
Zack Polanski, leader of the Green Party, has apologized after his party acknowledged that he lived on a houseboat moored in a Hackney marina until recently and may not have paid the council tax required on the vessel. The admission came after weeks of scrutiny into whether the boat served as his primary residence—a distinction that matters legally, since houseboats are subject to council tax only when they function as someone's main home.
The story began to unravel in reporting by The Times, which questioned whether Polanski had paid council tax on the boat over a three-year period. The newspaper had obtained an advertisement for the sale of the vessel in which Polanski's partner described the couple as "moving house and so will sadly be leaving the gorgeous community behind." That language suggested permanence, not occasional use. The Green Party's initial response to the inquiry was that Polanski rented a room at a different London address where council tax was already included in his rent, and that he only stayed on the boat from time to time. But the timeline didn't hold up under examination.
Local businesses told a different story. A laundrette near the marina reported doing laundry regularly for Polanski and his partner between 2023 and 2025—a three-year stretch that suggested sustained residence rather than weekend visits. Polanski and others with boats at the marina had also used a nearby building as a postal address, and he was registered to vote there. Tax lawyer Dan Neidle, who has investigated the financial affairs of several politicians, examined the situation and concluded that if the houseboat was indeed Polanski's main residence, as the evidence appeared to show, then he and his partner should have been paying council tax on it.
Under pressure to clarify, the Green Party shifted its position. A spokesperson told the BBC that Polanski had "until relatively recently" been living on the houseboat, acknowledging what the earlier denials had obscured. The party said he had "immediately taken steps to pay any council tax he may be found to owe" and that Polanski "apologises sincerely for the unintentional mistake." The statement also cited security concerns as the reason the party would not publicly confirm his address.
The episode raises questions about how politicians' tax obligations are monitored and how residency declarations are verified. Council tax is a fundamental local tax in Britain, and the rules about which properties qualify are clear—yet Polanski's situation went unresolved for years. Whether the failure was administrative oversight, a genuine misunderstanding of the rules, or something else remains unclear. What is certain is that the Green Party leader has now acknowledged the debt and begun to settle it, though the full amount owed and the timeline for payment have not been disclosed.
Citas Notables
He has immediately taken steps to pay any council tax he may be found to owe. Zack apologises sincerely for the unintentional mistake.— Green Party spokesperson to BBC
If, as seems likely, that was his main residence, then Mr Polanski and his partner should have paid council tax there.— Tax lawyer Dan Neidle
La Conversación del Hearth Otra perspectiva de la historia
Why does it matter whether a houseboat counts as someone's main home? Isn't it just a technicality?
It's the difference between owing nothing and owing thousands. Council tax is calculated based on property bands, and houseboats used as primary residences fall into that system. If you're living there year-round, you owe it. If you're just visiting, you don't. The law is clear—the question is whether people follow it.
But couldn't Polanski genuinely have been confused about the rules?
Possibly. But the evidence suggests he knew where he was actually living. His partner was advertising the boat as a home they were leaving. A local laundrette was doing their laundry regularly for three years. Those aren't the patterns of occasional use.
What does "taken steps to pay" actually mean? Has he paid it yet?
The party hasn't said. That phrase is deliberately vague. It could mean he's set up a payment plan, or it could mean he's just acknowledged the debt. We don't know the amount or the timeline.
Is this a big scandal for the Green Party?
It's an embarrassment, especially for a party that positions itself around ethical governance. But it's also a reminder that tax compliance isn't always straightforward—and that politicians, like anyone else, sometimes get it wrong. The question now is whether the party's response is genuine accountability or damage control.
What happens next?
The council will likely calculate what he owes based on the property band and the years of non-payment. That number will either be paid or disputed. Either way, it becomes a matter of public record.