A FOURTH councillor has resigned from Aberdeenshire Council’s Tory group in a week.
Banff and District councillor Michael Roy will now sit as an independent councillor, aligned with the current council administration, after leaving the group following eight years in the role.
He has also resigned from his post as vice-chairman of the council’s communities committee.
Roy said he was leaving due to "recent changes within the group".
He added: “I’ve been involved in the Banff and District community for more than 50 years.
“During that time, I’ve worked with and helped many community groups to deliver local projects.
“It is because of my interest in the local community that I decided to stand for the council.
“At the time, local authority politics was spelled with a small p, and generally decisions were made by consensus across the council.
“It is my view that the recent changes within the group will place more emphasis on Politics with a capital P, something I would not be comfortable with.
“I will continue to work in the interests of not only my constituents but also for the whole population of Aberdeenshire.”
Roy's resignation came days after council leader Jim Gifford and Tory councillors Jeff Hutchison and Lesley Berry quit their roles.
They will join the aligned independents group, which is part of the coalition administration alongside the LibDems.
The resignations came after Fraserburgh councillor Andy Kille was elected the new leader of the council's Conservative group at the weekend.
Gifford will remain council leader until November with Kille shadowing him.
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