Bishop Philip Egan has urged Catholics to pray for the conversion of Jeremy Corbyn and other MPs after they signed a letter demanding a ban on prayer vigils outside abortion clinics. A total of 113 MPs signed the letter to Home Secretary Amber Rudd, which was published on the 50th anniversary of the Abortion Act. It accused pro-lifers of harassing women outside abortion clinics – an accusation that vigil organisers strongly deny. Among the signatories of the letter were Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn and Liberal Democrat leader Vince Cable. Bishop Philip Egan wrote on Twitter: “It’s folly that Jeremy Corbyn and MPs want to restrict freedom of speech/prayer outside abortion clinics. Let’s pray for their conversion.” Rudd had told the House of Commons earlier that week that she will look at the evidence and consider whether a ban is necessary. “It is imperative that women have access to safe and legal abortion,” she said. “Although we of course agree that public protest must be allowed, it must not in any way be allowed to intimidate women on the way to receiving the health services they want.” The letter from MPs came after Ealing council in west London voted to use anti-social behaviour powers to stop vigils outside an abortion clinic in the borough. Last week legislators in Ontario, Canada, also voted to ban vigils outside clinics. Rudd said that she was watching the situation in Ealing “with interest”. The council voted to use a Public Space Protection Order (PSPO) to ban protests outside clinics. The orders were introduced in 2014 amid concerns that they might be used to criminalise public activities on political grounds. Rudd said that it was unclear how Ealing would manage the change, “and we will see whether any additional support is needed. It is a local matter, but as I say, I am very interested to see the outcome of this.” The letter, written by Rupa Huq, the Labour MP for Ealing Central and Acton, accused pro-lifers of harassing women outside the clinics – an accusation strongly denied by the Good Counsel Network, which organises the vigils. Huq said protesters called women “murderers” and filmed them as they went in and out of the clinics. She said the idea was “not to stop protests, but to ask protesters to instead make use of the many places they could protest – from Parliament Square to town centres to Speaker’s Corner”. She wrote: “The women accessing clinics are not seeking debate – they are trying to make their own personal decision about their own pregnancy.” Clare McCullough, the founder of the Good Counsel Network, said last month that protesters do not “harass” women. She said that if protesters were truly harassing people, they would already face prosecution under existing laws. “I’m amazed at the lengths people will go to stop pregnant women from looking at the alternatives,” she said. “We try to make sure women are not being pressured into abortion. We’ve had hundreds of women accept help outside Marie Stopes. “Harassment is a crime. If we were harassing anyone we would be arrested. In fact, what we’re trying to do is help women to have an alternative, if they’re willing to accept it.”