Aberdeenshire council boss Gillian Owen has quit as local Tory leader days after denying she was headed for the exit door.
The under-siege council leader has been under pressure since we reported she called her own Conservative colleagues “f***ing b*****ds” in text messages earlier this month.
A source told the P&J they were “disgusted” by the remarks which undermined Ms Owen’s hopes of remaining in the top job.
It’s understood Ms Owen will formally remain in post as council leader until a local authority meeting on June 26.
What changed over the weekend?
The Ellon councillor told The Press and Journal on Friday she had not stood down despite sources giving a detailed account of her effective resignation.
Today, the party confirmed she wrote to the local branch last week to say she would not be staying on as group leader.
She told the P&J on Friday: “I haven’t resigned. My role has not changed.
“There’s a Scottish Conservative and Unionist group meeting on Monday.
“It would be speculating to say anything more.”
Stewart Adams takes over
Banff and District Councillor Stewart Adams now replaces her in the group leader job with Councillor Tracey Smith as deputy.
The Tories currently control Aberdeenshire with the support of the Lib Dems and local independent councillors.
Reform defections
The Aberdeenshire Tory group has been engulfed in chaos over the past year.
Three ex-Conservative councillors – Mark Findlater, Laurie Carnie, and John Crawley – have all moved over to Nigel Farage’s Reform.
Last week, we reported Huntly Councillor Robbie Withey quit the local Tory group in protest against nursery closures.
And in February last year Banchory councillor Ann Ross left the party over allegations of “bullying”.
A Scottish Tory spokesman said: “We thank Gillian for her dedication and hard work during her time as Aberdeenshire Conservative group leader.
“Under Stewart’s leadership, we will continue to focus on the priorities that matter to the people of Aberdeenshire.”
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