Banff councillor fourth to leave Aberdeenshire Council Conservative group
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Banff and District councillor Michael Roy has resigned from Aberdeenshire Council's Conservative group – the fourth to do so this week.
He will now serve as an independent and will remain aligned with the local authority's ruling administration, which is made up of Conservatives, Liberal Democrats and independents.
On Monday, council leader councillor Jim Gifford resigned from the group along with councillors Lesley Berry and Jeff Hutchison.
Fraserburgh and District councillor Andy Kille was elected as the new leader for the group and will shadow councillor Gifford until he leaves the role in November.
Councillor Peter Argyle, leader of the Liberal Democrat group, will remain as deputy leader of the council.
Councillor Roy has also resigned from his vice-chairman post on the council's communities committee.
He has been involved with the Banff and District community for more than 50 years and had been a Conservative councillor for eight years.
He said: "During that time I have worked with and helped many community groups to deliver projects which have benefited the area at large.
"It was because of my interest in the local community that I decided to stand as a councillor for Aberdeenshire.
"At that time, local authority politics was spelt with a small p and generally decisions were made across the council by consensus.
"It is my view that the recent changes within the group will put 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 the constituents of Banff and District, but also the wider population of Aberdeenshire."
Meanwhile, the SNP group has seen Mearns councillor Leigh Wilson and North Kincardine councillor Alastair Bews leave it.
They have launched a new alliance on Aberdeenshire Council, the Social Democratic Group.
