Conservative MP Sir Edward Leigh made a passionate defence of faith schools in the face of what he said was an attack on their basic ethos by the ‘forces of intolerance’. Leigh proposed the motion that ‘this House believes that Ofsted should respect the ability of faith schools to teach their core beliefs in the context of respect and toleration for others’. He was particularly critical of Ofsted because of what he said was its inappropriate treatment of Christian schools such as Grindon Hall and the Durham Free School, which is fighting closure after an adverse report. He said: ‘Ofsted appears to be guilty of trying to enforce a kind of state-imposed orthodoxy on certain moral and religious questions.’ He said: ‘The Minister should remind Ofsted that the law prioritises the teaching of the Christian faith in RE and school assemblies because we are a Christian nation with a Christian heritage.’