It’s happening sooner than I anticipated, but people are finding more lies and dishonesty in Polanski’s past, from a claim he worked for the Ministry of Justice (in much the same way that Cat employs me as a copywriter), to lying about being a spokesman for the Red Cross, and now failing to pay Council Tax.
Even Ange walked the plank eventually.
I don’t see him doing the decent thing, though.
The following was written by Dan Neidle at Tax Policy Associates regarding Green Party deputy leader Zack Polanski and his narrowboat at Lee Valley Marina.
For the property and tax nerds among us, this is a classic Catch-22.
The Background:
Polanski and his partner advertised their boat for sale, describing it as their “amazing home” for three years. However, no Council Tax was ever paid on it. During this time, he was registered to vote at a nearby bungalow (commonly used as a postal address by the marina’s boaters).
When challenged by the press about the unpaid Council Tax, his team offered two defences:
He only stayed on the boat “occasionally”.
His Council Tax was included in the rent he paid as a lodger somewhere else.
Let’s break down why this is a spectacular own goal from a tax and legal perspective.
The Property Tax Reality:
As property investors know, Council Tax isn’t a tax on you for existing in a borough; it’s a tax on dwellings. For a boat on a permanent mooring to become a rateable “dwelling” for Council Tax purposes, it must be the occupant’s “sole or main residence” (Section 66(4) LGFA 1988).
Furthermore, the “my landlord pays it elsewhere” defence is entirely irrelevant. If you have a main residence in one dwelling, you owe the tax there, regardless of whatever lodger arrangements you have going on somewhere else.
The Catch-22 Trap:
By trying to dodge the Council Tax bullet, Polanski’s PR team has potentially walked him straight into an electoral law minefield.
Scenario A (The Probable Reality): The boat was his sole or main residence (as evidenced by his own sales listing, his laundry habits, and his voter registration). In this case, he simply owes about 3 years of backdated Council Tax (likely Band A, around £4,000). A careless mistake, but not a criminal one. The VOA adds it to the list, the council bills him, he pays it, life moves on.
Scenario B (The PR Defence): He genuinely only stayed there “occasionally”. If this is true, he doesn’t owe Council Tax on the boat. BUT… to get on the electoral roll at that marina address, you must sign a declaration of residency. Staying somewhere “occasionally” does not meet the legal threshold for residency. Knowingly or recklessly giving false info on an electoral registration? That’s a criminal offence punishable by up to two years in prison.
The Takeaway:
The Williams v Horsham District Council case established that a main residence is what a “reasonable onlooker” would regard as a person’s home, based on where they sleep, keep possessions, get post, and register to vote.
In trying to spin a £4k local tax oversight into a non-story, the PR team has accidentally accused their own boss of an electoral crime.
Always understand the underlying mechanics of property tax before you try to get clever with the press.
Prefer that to an amphibian?
5 million, a bit more than missing council tax payments. Of course there is also a small matter of a 1 million house purchase the amphibian did not make.
I’m sure it’s not meant that way but that’s a well-known anti-semitic metaphor. Gary Linneker fell on his sword for using it.
Rodent is anti semitic? Blessed are the big noses.
Forgive me for using His Majesty’s BBC.
Ahh now understand.
Its probably not helped by his lack of molar teeth by the look of it. Now if you arrive by small boat you will be allowed to have free dentistry paid by the state from our money.
This is a bit off topic but why did he change his name, especially to that of a disgraced film director? I didn’t realise until recently that he’s actually called David Paulden.
That was his grandfathers surname.
I’m assuming it’s connected to identity politics, and creating his own version of himself.
As for antisemitism, Polanski’s party is now worse than Corbynite Labour was. But he uses his Jewishness, like his sexuality, when it’s useful to deflect criticism or avoid answering the question.
Wikipedia agrees with you. It’s usually accurate.
To be fare, I looked it up the other werk as I had the same question and wanted to know more about him.
My goodness, the things we can learn just by spending half an hour on here.
Got to be better than chatbeetee tee, or whatever it is called. 
It is interesting how thd focus has switched to Polanski after the recent local elections where the Greens polled well.
Yes now the greens are a potential threat to the right wing establishment
You say interesting, I say transparent. The second the word ‘antisemitism’ was spoken anyone with their eyes open should say ‘oh, here we go again, this won’t stop until the new target is well and truly in their political grave’ just as happened with Corbyn’s Labour.
Every party has issues with antisemitism. Every party has issues with Islamophobia. Every party has issues with racism. Every party has issues with homophobia/ transphobia. Because society does. Is it any worse in one than the others? Taking Reform out of the equation I’m not sure it is. But only specific parties at specific times, and over one specific issue (antisemitism) have it blown up to such a degree it becomes all consuming until it virtually destroys the party. Reform have tonnes of people who are about as hateful as it comes, when’s their turn to be virtually destroyed by the media? <crickets…>
I think you may be falling for the inevitable muckraking and distortion of the facts that always happens when a political figure threatens the friends of crypto-billionaires. Either that, or you’re part of it - care to share?
He changed his name back to the one his family used to be known by, which they had changed to Paulden to avoid antisemitism.
Turns out Polanski couldn’t vote last week because he hadn’t registered due to his “floating” residential situation.