Zack Polanski cleared by ethics inquiry over council tax payment complaint

Zack Polanski has been cleared by an ethics inquiry investigating claims that he did not pay council tax while living on a houseboat in east London from 2022. The Greater London Authority’s monitoring officer ruled the circumstances of his unconventional housing fell outside the London Assembly ethics code, meaning there was no breach by a member. Labour and Conservative complaints had alleged an ethics-code violation over nonpayment of council tax. Polanski testified that it had not yet been established whether any tax was due and noted that the boat’s location bordered two local authorities, highlighting his personal financial hardship and housing insecurity in his evidence. He also explained a five-year period as a property guardian before moving to the boat and insisted there was no intention to evade obligations. He acknowledged that greater care could have been taken to understand the rules, but maintained his honesty and integrity throughout.