Precious Life has commended the courageous decision by the Deputy of Northern Ireland’s national students’ movement to resign over the organisation's abortion policy.

Mr Alex Redpath announced his resignation as Deputy of the NUS/USI because of the organisation’s decision to reaffirm its pro-abortion policy. Mr Redpath made his resignation on BBC Radio Ulster's religious affairs programme, Sunday Sequence

   Mr Redpath, who is also Co-President of the Pro Life Society at Belfast’s Queen’s University, said he was quitting the key students’ movement post “as a matter of conscience”.

   He emphasised: “As a member of the movement’s National Executive, I am duty bound to implement the union’s policies. This particular policy on reaffirming the union’s position in supporting the heinous tragedy of abortion is one which I cannot in all conscience support.

   “I was elected Deputy President on a wave of pro-life support after changing Queen’s University’s policy on abortion to one of neutrality. I agreed to serve as Deputy President on the condition that I would not be expected to promote abortion, and in expectation of a change in NUS/USI’s policy.

   “However, our disappointing defeat at the union’s national conference has put me in an impossible position. We could have won, we should have won, but because of the absence of certain students’ unions, we did not.

   “Perhaps my resignation will remind several campuses of their own policies regarding abortion and may make them attend at the next national conference to vote for an end to this divisive and ineffective policy.

   “There is no point in a national students’ union having an abortion policy. All this achieves is to divide students when we should be uniting against a powerful anti-student lobby whose sole objective is the marketisation of education, such as increasing fees.

   “This pro-abortion policy is nothing more than self-indulgence by the extreme left who have for too long held the whip hand in the students’ movement,” said Mr Redpath.

Director of Precious Life Bernadette Smyth said, "We commend the courageous action of Alex Redpath in making a principled stand for life. He has exposed the hypocrisy of an organisation that claims it's mission and core values are "...to promote social justice" and "...treat individuals with dignity and respect." Abortion is the greatest social injustice and every individual unborn child killed by abortion is given no respect or dignity. We will continue offering Alex every help and support in his role as Co-President of the Pro Life Society at Belfast’s Queen’s University."

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