Green Party leader Zack Polanski forced to return 'impermissible' donation

The Green Party of England and Wales has been forced to return a donation made by its leader Zack Polanski because it was considered to be impermissible.

Under UK electoral law parties can only accept money from people on the UK electoral register. Impermissible donations must be returned within 30 days.

As first reported in The Financial Times,, external Polanski gave £1,539.45 to the party in September last year, shortly after he was elected leader, but it was not returned until 10 June this year.

Deputy Green Party leader Rachel Millward told the BBC Polanski had not been on the electoral register because of "security reasons".

She added that he was "in conversation with the police to work out a way of registering anonymously so that he can be protected".

A Green Party spokesperson said: "This donation was made to the London Green Party. When the issue was brought to the national party's attention the donation was returned."

It is common practice for Green candidates elected to the London Assembly to donate a portion of their salary to the party.

In a statement the Electoral Commission said: "The guidance makes clear that the law requires donees to report impermissible donations and return them to the donor within 30 days.

"If after the 30-day period they become aware that a donation they have accepted is impermissible, they should act quickly to bring themselves into compliance.

"The donee should return the value of the donation to the donor if possible, or to the commission.

"We are currently considering this under our regulatory remit, so we cannot comment further at this time. This is not the subject of an investigation by the commission."

Last month, the Green Party confirmed that Polanski had not voted in the local elections in London.

The party's spokesman said Polanski had faced "heightened intrusion and safety risk" and had been "the target of antisemitic and homophobic abuse" since becoming leader, and that there had been two arrests related to "abuse directed towards him".

Polanski ultimately failed to register to vote as a result of the security concerns and the "extra process" required to register to vote anonymously, the spokesperson said.