East Garioch councillor Dominic Lonchay is ditching the Conservatives and joining Nigel Farage's Reform UK, the P&J has revealed.
Mr Lonchay joings Ellon councillor John Crawley, former council chief Mark Findlater and Mearns councillor Laurie Carnie in switching allegiances.
Huntly councillor Robbie Withey also left the Conservative party earlier this month in protest against the closure of nurseries in what The Press and Journal reports is fast become a "crisis" for the party.
Announcing his decision to jump ship, Mr Lonchay said: “The reasons for this decision are many, and I have particularly recently been unable to influence the running of the council for the benefit of my constituents.
“I have therefore decided to join Reform, and I look forward to working with colleagues in the unaligned group of councillors.”