Under-siege Gillian Owen: 'I've not resigned as Aberdeenshire Tory leader despite claims otherwise'
Council leader Gillian Owen has defiantly told The Press and Journal she hasn't quit as Aberdeenshire's Tory leader – within an hour of us being given a detailed account of her resignation by party insiders.
It's been a week of whispers and rumour on the Ellon councillor's future at the top, ever since a shock outburst left her in the thick of it.
More than a handful of sources – at least six from Aberdeenshire and beyond – have told The P&J Gillian Owen has resigned.
But publicly, questions hang over her leadership.
We understand unhappiness has been festering for months, bubbling away ahead of the Aberdeenshire branch's AGM last Saturday.
Those simmering tensions exploded when she had called her own Conservative councillors 'f***ing b*****ds' in a WhatsApp group which they were part of.
It had been thought her future would be decided then and there.
But the annual meeting, where leadership positions are voted on, was abruptly adjourned last Saturday before there could be a vote. It will reconvene on Monday.
Since, sources have briefed that she has resigned.
On Friday morning, one insider told us: 'People turned on her and she was given an ultimatum.
'Following the press in The P&J, she resigned.
'The association chair wrote to the Conservative group saying her position wasn't tenable.
'The new leader is to be elected on Monday. It is an absolute mess. It's going to affect the administration.'
But across Aberdeen, at council headquarters, Gillian Owen was telling us a categorically different story.
The Aberdeenshire Council leader had sat in on a meeting on the multi-million-pound Aberdeen City Region Deal when we caught up with her on Friday.
In a guarded interaction, she told The P&J: '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.
'The AGM is on Monday. I haven't resigned as leader.
'We will see what happens on Monday.'
She later declined to comment on the anonymous account of the AGM, describing her being forced out of the top job.
'I'm not going to add anything, my hands are tied,' she said.
Conservative members will on Monday vote on her position – if a challenger comes forward.
Speaking with the candidness of anonymity, sources within the Aberdeenshire Tories shrug: 'Who would want the job?'
Gillian Owen would be replaced as Aberdeenshire Conservative leader – but would remain leader of the local authority's Tory, Liberal Democrat and independent administration until the end of June.
On top of year after year of budget slashing, the free-flow of information hints at unhappiness within the rank.
This latest spell of Gillian Owen's two years in charge echoes the final days of her predecessor Mark Findlater, who colleagues branded 'the village fool' not long before he was usurped.
Asked about the information streaming from the Aberdeenshire Conservatives, Gillian Owen said: 'That's up to them. If they feel the need to leak I can't stop them.
'That's all I'm really prepared to say. I'm not wanting to say any more.'
There were even claims an email detailing Gillian Owen's resignation was sent to her fellow Tory councillors.
But the email, if it was ever sent, was then said to have been recalled.
Earlier in the week, another source hinted that the council boss may even have deployed a tactic made famous by celebrity Coleen Rooney in finding out who the mole is…
They said: 'There's some paranoia within the group.
'She's sent an email, I presume to all councillors in the Conservative group… but I'm a bit anxious Gillian's set a trap by sending out different versions of the message.
'I haven't seen the email yet. But the assumption is she's resigned, that she's not seeking re-election but it is definitely unclear.'
The Press and Journal understands the current unease centres on the continued involvement of Banff and District councillor John Cox in the Tory-led administration.
Mr Cox is an independent councillor. He's also a member of Reform UK.
However, he's not joined the – now three – Reform councillors in the council chambers.
Gillian Owen's fellow Ellon councillor John Crawley defected from the Tories to Reform this week, telling us the Conservative party had 'lost him'.
It comes as Nigel Farage's party declared themselves the 'real opposition' in the UK, after wins in a Westminster by-election, and mayoral and local elections down south last week.
Against that backdrop, it's thought Conservative MPs and MSPs in Aberdeenshire are particularly keen to have Mr Cox expelled – amid predictions of possible electoral success for Reform in next year's Holyrood poll.
Despite his continued independence, The P&J understands the Tories have 'decisively' voted behind closed doors to remove him from the ruling council coalition.
Asked about the reported unhappiness on Mr Cox's involvement, Gillian Owen told us: 'I'm not in a position to answer for my colleagues.'
Pressed, she added: 'No, I'm not even going to say whether I would like him to remain in the administration.'
We understand Gillian Owen felt a vote on his administration membership had been sprung on her more publicly, leading to her sweary WhatsApp message.
At 6.20pm, the Ellon and District councillor wrote: 'We agreed at our group no votes.
'F***ing b*****ds threw me under the bus.'
It was soon-to-defect Mr Crawley who asked if she'd intended to call her own Conservative councillors 'funking (sic) b*****ds'.
She replied: 'Yes I did and I shouldn't have, but but ….'
The 'disgusting and upsetting' blow-up came only days before Gillian Owen was going to ask the Aberdeenshire Conservatives to re-elect her as their leader at the later-deserted AGM.
As we revealed her furious communication the day before, Gillian Owen told us: 'I apologise for using unprofessional language in a group chat, which I regretted immediately and deleted.'
Rumours of her abdication began to circulate from various Tory sources at the beginning of the week.
The group was also rocked by Huntly, Strathbogie and Howe of Alford councillor Robbie Withey declaring his independence from the Tory whip to fight nursery closures in his ward.
Another insider who's felt lost all week in the information vacuum told us: 'It's been a very strange week.
'It seems news on her future had made it down to folk in Edinburgh before the group had been told anything.
'We don't know what's going on. Our group is none the wiser and it's all in a state of flux.'
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