In my 37 years in the House of Commons, I have always been aware of the role that my religion has played in my political life. I was educated by the Jesuits at Stonyhurst in Lancashire. The school’s motto is “quant je puis – as much as I can”. We were instilled with a sense that our education was a springboard to a life of purpose. We were taught self-discipline and never to give up. We look back with pride at the many young men from the school, then known as St Omer’s, who were martyred, some of whom were later canonised. These were followed by seven VCs, whose portraits hang in the school refectory.