The Green Party has admitted that its leader, Zack Polanski, has apparently been living on a houseboat in London and may have forgotten to pay council tax - because nothing says "environmentally conscious" like evading a tax that funds local services.
In a statement to the BBC, a party spokesperson confirmed that Polanski has "taken steps to pay any council tax he may be found to owe" and offered a sincere apology for the "unintentional mistake." Because nothing says "we're on top of this" like the word "may."
Polanski has been under pressure to clarify whether the houseboat, moored at a marina in east London, was his primary residence. Tax lawyer Dan Neidle - who apparently has made a hobby of scrutinizing politicians' tax affairs - weighed in on his Tax Policy Associates website, noting that a boat is liable for council tax when used as a "sole or main residence." He wrote: "If, as seems likely, that was his main residence, then Mr Polanski and his partner should have paid council tax there." Spoiler: they didn't.
The Times newspaper first raised the question last week, reporting that an advertisement to sell the boat - seen by both the Times and the BBC - quoted Polanski's partner saying, "We are moving house and so will sadly be leaving the gorgeous community behind" after the boat had been "our amazing home... for three years." The Green Party initially told the Times that Polanski rented a room elsewhere and only stayed on the boat "occasionally," but the paper noted that a local launderette said it had done laundry for Polanski and his partner from 2023 to 2025 - presumably not for the occasional visit.
Polanski, along with several other boat-dwellers, used a nearby building as a postal address. The marina falls under Waltham Forest borough council, and the Mail reported that he had been registered to vote there - because nothing says "I don't live here" like being registered to vote here.
When pressed by the BBC, the Green Party spokesperson offered a statement that read like a masterclass in evasion: "Until relatively recently, Zack was living on a houseboat, which came with its own unique practical circumstances and considerations." Translation: we're not saying he didn't pay, but we're also not saying he did. They added that Polanski has "immediately taken steps to pay any council tax he may be found to owe" but declined to comment on his address for "security reasons." Because nothing says transparency like a party that champions open government going radio silence on a leader's living situation.