Green Party forced to return Zack Polanski’s donation on legal grounds
The Green Party was forced to refund Zack Polanski’s donation after he was prevented from donating money under election law.
Electoral Commission data shows Mr Polanski donated £1,539.45 in September last year, weeks after he became leader of the Green Party.
However, it was determined that the donation was unacceptable under the election law because it was not on the electoral roll at the time. Finance Times reports.
Electoral Commission rules state that such donations must be returned within 30 days of receipt, but the Green Party reported the donation in October last year and only returned the money on June 10, 2026, according to official data.
The Electoral Commission said: “We are currently considering this within our regulatory remit so we cannot comment further at this time. This is not the subject of an investigation by the Commission.”
The Commission’s guidance on impermissible donations states that if a party continues to make an impermissible donation after 30 days, it will be deemed to have accepted it.
It reads: “If your party accepts an unauthorized donation, your party may be subject to civil penalties. The party and the treasurer may also be guilty of a crime.”
Independent The Green Party was contacted but a spokesman said: Finance Times Mr. Polanski “was not on the electoral roll due to personal safety concerns.”
“The donation was returned when the matter was brought to the attention of the national party,” they said.
Earlier this year the Green Party confirmed that Mr Polanski would not be able to vote in May’s local elections because he was in the process of moving due to security concerns.
A Green Party spokesman said at the time: “Zack was unable to vote. He was in the process of moving and when that failed he moved into a rented house as a tenant.”
“He ran out of time to register at a new location, especially given the extra process he had to go through to register anonymously. Zack has recently experienced increased safety concerns after being the target of antisemitic and homophobic abuse.”
The manager row comes amid a row over Mr Polanski’s alleged failure to pay the correct amount of council tax while living on a houseboat in London.
A spokesman for the Green Party described the situation as an “inadvertent mistake” and said it was “taking immediate steps” to settle the outstanding taxes.
“Until relatively recently, Zack lived on a houseboat, which came with its own set of practical circumstances and considerations,” they said. “He immediately took the necessary steps to pay council tax if he was owed money. Zack sincerely apologizes for his inadvertent mistake.”
