Prominent anti-abortion campaigner elected President of pro-choice UCD Student Union

Prominent pro-life campaigner Katie Ascough has been elected President of the UCD students' union.

The third year Science student won 36% of the student vote in a four-way race to become the university's union president.

Katie's father, Tom Ascough, sits on the board of directors of the conservative Catholic Iona Institute and is involved in youth evangelisation programmes.

The University Observer, UCD's student newspaper, reports that Ms. Ascough has made a number of high-profile media appearances advocating her staunch pro-life views. The newly elected SU President also writes a youth column in the monthly Catholic magazine Alive!.

Ascough said she was honoured by the win and is looking forward to the next year,

"They put the person first, the person that they thought, that they believed will do the best job as UCDSU president."

Ms Ascough also said she will respect the UCD students' union's pro-choice mandate and act in accordance with it in her role:

“Wherever my position as official spokesperson of the union, I can say that in line with that and in line with what we communicate, I will not be crossing the line and doing stuff that is going to compromise my relationship with the SU team or my role as President.”

UCD's student newspaper states that although Ascough did not mention her pro-life views on her election manifesto, nor when speaking to the paper last month, she has stated that she will "delegate" the Repeal campaign to the uni's Campaigns and Communications and Welfare officers.