Zack Polanski, leader of the Green Party of England and Wales, has been cleared by a City Hall investigation into claims he failed to pay council tax while living on a London houseboat, according to the Evening Standard.

The Greater London Authority found no grounds for action against Polanski, who also serves as a London Assembly member (an elected representative at City Hall). The investigation looked at whether Polanski owed council tax during the time he lived on a houseboat. Council tax is a local property tax that normally applies to houses and flats, but houseboats can be trickier: it depends on where they're moored and whether they're registered as permanent homes or not, which is why the rules are unclear.

The investigation clears Polanski at a difficult moment for his party. In May, Polanski admitted to Sky News that he did not vote in this year's local elections — a local vote that happens in England, Wales and Scotland. The BBC reported the story the day before, on 14 May. For a party leader, not voting in elections sent the wrong message, and he faced immediate criticism.

Polanski became leader of the Green Party of England and Wales in September. He took over after the party achieved its strongest result ever in the 2024 general election — winning more Westminster seats than before. With more power came more attention, and his background as a London Assembly member made the council tax question feel like a problem closer to home.

The investigation clearing Polanski removes one public headache. The combination of the non-voting admission in May and this council tax inquiry in June — both now in the past — drew a lot of media attention in a short space of time.

It is worth noting that when smaller parties or their leaders gain prominence, they often face closer scrutiny from opponents and the media. Whether these recent difficulties reflect that increased attention, or whether they point to broader questions about how Polanski has adjusted to leading a major party, is something his colleagues will be thinking through. For now, though, the formal decision is clear: he is cleared.