TUI, Harvey Proctor and ‘Safeguarding’ Overreach?

TUI Group are ‘the world's leading integrated tourism business with opportunities for everyone: our customers fly across continents, cruise the oceans, experience amazing destinations and stay in their perfect accommodation. Our colleagues across the globe are Makers of Happy.’

Less happy, however, are those with convictions, which should have been quashed along the principle of (the informal) Turing’s Law - or those maintaining innocence under a UK media-justice system now obsessed with neo-puritanism - who have been told they won’t be allowed to travel with TUI. War hero Alan Turing was convicted and castrated due to his homosexuality, and he later committed suicide, very likely as a result of this treatment. His convictions were quashed relatively recently.

TUI’s child protection policy states:

‘TUI Travel PLC is committed to child protection– both those we take on holiday and those in destinations. We condemn the exploitation of children, a fundamental abuse of a child’s human rights and dignity, and we reserve the right to immediately terminate business with any person or company that is engaged or associated with any form of exploitation.’

But what happens when an individual’s convictions are decades old, or, indeed, that they have been maintaining innocence of the crime of which they were accused, charged or found guilty of? FACT (Falsely Accused in the Context of Trust) President Harvey Proctor, who was falsely accused by fantasist Carl Beech, contacted TUI for answers to what appears to be an abuse of human rights.

Mr Proctor posted on X:

‘I understand, & support, the need to protect children & vulnerable passengers. But that duty of care must not be used to perpetuate the kind of institutional discrimination we, as a society, have spent decades trying to undo.’

Followed by:

‘Just told by TUI that I’m banned from travel due to a 1987 conviction for gross indecency - a “crime” no longer on the statute books. Under Alan Turning Law I can apply to have it expunged. This is not safeguarding. It’s corporate discrimination against gay men. Outrageous.’

Later:

‘I have been advised by a data specialist, that there is a reasonable argument to be made that TUI’s decision not to allow me to travel with them - through apparent inflexible application of a company policy - involves unfair processing of personal data in contravention of Article 5(1)(f) of the UK GDPR, & lacks authorisation under Article 10 of the same (as read in conjunction with section 10 and Schedule 1 of the Data Protection Act 2018)

The newspapers started to pay attention:

‘In The Times, following TUI informing me that they will not allow me to use their services due to my 1987 conviction for gross indecency - a “crime” no longer on the statute books. Under ‘Alan Turning Law’ I can apply to have it expunged.’

‘The questions FACT put to TUI following its ‘safeguarding’ policy & informing me they will not allow me to use their services due to my 1987 conviction for gross indecency - a “crime” no longer on the statute books & which I, & others with similar convictions, can have expunged.’

• ls TUI aware of the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act? Including provisions which allow certain convictions to become spent after a set period? This is designed to help those with criminal convictions reintegrate into society by making certain convictions

  "spent" after a set rehabilitation period. Essentially, it allows individuals to treat some past convictions as if they never happened for most purposes, such as job applications or insurance. How does TUI reconcile its safeguarding policy with this legislation, given that an unspent conviction may later become spent?

  
  

• ls TUI aware that some people are on the UK Sex Offender Register indefinitely?

  
  

• ls TUI aware that many people who have a criminal record of a sex offence are not classed as high or medium risk and are low or no risk?

  
  

• ls TUI already aware that those on the SOR have to inform police of foreign travel and give flight details? Surely the police are better informed as to the risk factors than TUI is.

  
  

• How does TUI intend to enforce this policy in practical terms?

  
  

• What steps will TUI take to verify the status of customers? What are the penalties or consequences for a customer who fails to disclose relevant information?

  
  

• ls TUI applying this to all the countries it flies to and from?

  
  

• Is TUI enforcing this rule on their 16 cruise ships?

  
  

• Is TUI discriminating against UK travellers only?

  
  

• Can TUI confirm whether it applies the same safeguarding principles to its employees worldwide? Specifically, does TUI refuse employment to anyone with any form of unspent conviction, including sexual offences, violence, or other serious crimes?

It’s not just Alan Turing and Harvey Proctor, of course. Oscar Wilde also had his historical convictions for ‘buggery’ overturned in recent years - but somewhat later than the 1890’s post-conviction bad health that killed him.

‘Safeguarding’ is increasingly being used as a tool to discriminate against those the press tells us to disapprove of. All TUI are doing is pandering to the kneejerk response to the term ‘child sex offender’; when the phrase includes shifting laws according to liberal human rights, false allegations, and massive, prolonged exaggerations in the media according to the relevant org’s narrative stance. But, the company is just supposed to get you from A to B, right?