Lord David Alton is a life-long Catholic. After attending the Jesuit run St. Edmund Campion School, he attended Christ College, in Liverpool. As a young man he taught special needs children. He was elected to the House of Commons and served as an MP for 18 years. In 1992, he left the Liberal Democratic Party because of its support of abortion and cloning. In 1997, he was made the youngest life Peer of the House of Lords, choosing to sit as an Independent Crossbencher.