Anti-abortion activist Katie Ascough elected UCD students’ union president

Prominent anti-abortion activist Katie Ascough has been elected as head of Univeristy College Dublin(UCD)'s students' union.

The third year UCD Science undergraduate said she was proud that students did not dismiss her for views on the issue of abortion, or because she is a firm Catholic.

“They put the person who they believe will do the best job as UCD SU President first. I am so proud. I will represent all students,” she said after her election yesterday.

Out of the 3,237 students who voted, Ms Ascough won 46 per cent of the vote, topping the poll in every building on the campus in what was a four-way race.

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Ms Ascough said she hoped that the students would respect her personal opinion on the issue of abortion throughout her year as president. “I would hope that students would not expect me to throw my beliefs away at the door. That is untrue to who I am, and what I believe.”

Ms Ascough is the daughter of Tom Ascough, who sits on the board of directors of the Iona Institute.

The UCD students’ union has a mandate to campaign for a pro-choice abortion regime . Ms Ascough said she would be respecting that stance and act in accordance with it as president. She said she has been torn over whether she would attend a march seeking the repeal of the Eighth Amendment to the Constitution as union president. This is something she is still debating, she said.

Ms Ascough said she “came to UCD with opinions that might not be the norm . . . There’s so many different issues where we could, and we do disagree, and that’s perfectly healthy,” she said.

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