Zack Polanski now admits he paid the wrong council tax during stint on east London houseboat

Zack Polanski has admitted he failed to pay the correct council tax while he was living on a houseboat in east London.

The Green Party leader came under fire after an investigation by The Times raised questions over his living situation.

Speaking through a party spokesman, the 43-year-old previously claimed he only stayed on the vessel “occasionally” - but an unearthed online listing from his partner had described it as the pair's "amazing home".

Neighbours told the newspaper they believed Mr Polanski lived at the address permanently, saying they had seen him there “all the time”.

After being probed as to whether the Green leader paid council tax on the narrowboat, the party insisted he lives in a rented property at a separate address - rumoured to be in Hackney.

A spokesman insisted that his council tax "is included in the rent he pays his landlord”.

People living on houseboats can be liable for council tax if it is their principal residence, according to Government guidance.

But now, the Greens have finally admitted that Mr Polanski was living at the property "until relatively recently", adding that it "came with its own unique practical circumstances and considerations".

A party spokesman said: "He has immediately taken steps to pay any council tax he may be found to owe.

"Zack apologises sincerely for the unintentional mistake.

"For security reasons, we do not comment publicly on Zack’s address.

"There have recently been two serious incidents which have been reported to the police and are under investigation.”

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The owner of a launderette - just one mile away from the marina where the houseboat is docked - told The Times that Mr Polanksi and his partner frequented his establishment between 2023 and September 2025.

The Greens also admitted that the party leader had used a building near the marina “as a convenient and secure place to collect his post”.

The revelation comes as yet another blow to the Green boss - who has been found to have falsely claimed to have worked for the Ministry of Justice and as a spokesman for the British Red Cross in recent weeks.

The London Assembly member said he worked inside the MoJ doing "actor roleplay work", having said during his successful leadership campaign he was "currently working at the Ministry of Justice on their training & diversity programmes".

However, the MoJ said it had no record of Mr Polanski ever working for the department.

Just days earlier, the Greens leader was found to have wrongly claimed to have been a spokesman for the British Red Cross during his bid to become deputy leader of the party.

The claim appeared on a former fundraising page and independent promotional material, but has been denied by the British arm of the international humanitarian organisation.

The British Red Cross said Mr Polanski had never served as an official spokesperson and confirmed it had raised the issue with the politician’s team.

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