Nearly seven out of ten members of the public oppose Labour’s plans to weaken English language tests for migrants, new polling shows.
The Home Office has advertised a new £816million contract, which will see in-person, invigilated tests replaced with online exams that critics have warned would be vulnerable to cheating.
The new tests were dubbed a ‘fraudsters’ charter’ over their potential to weaken Britain’s border controls.
Now a survey by YouGov shows 68 per cent of those polled oppose the change to online tests, and only 22 per cent support the move, with the rest being ‘don’t knows’.
Among more than 2,000 adults questioned by pollsters, 46 per cent said they ‘strongly opposed’ the change – including 35 per cent who voted Labour at the last general election.
It has also emerged for the first time that an American company thought to be the frontrunner to operate the new tests, Duolingo, discussed the contract during private meetings with a minister.
An official document showed business minister Lord Stockwood met with Duolingo’s co-founder and chief executive Luis von Ahn and its UK director Michael Lynas.
The civil service note of the meeting revealed the minister said he would ‘flag the discussion to No 10’ – just weeks before the terms of the Home Office tender were made public in November.
An official document showed business minister Lord Stockwood met with Duolingo’s co-founder and chief executive Luis von Ahn (pictured) and its UK director Michael Lynas
The Government previously denied there had been discussions about the testing contract with Duolingo, which is best known for its online foreign language app
The document, obtained under freedom of information laws, also showed Mr Lynas spoke about ‘engagement with the Home Office on English language testing’.
The meeting on September 24 last year came after Duolingo hired disgraced peer Peter Mandelson’s now-defunct lobbying company Global Counsel, although their contract with the firm had by then ended.
During the meeting Lord Stockwood asked for Mr von Ahn’s phone number and Mr Lynas was to be provided with contacts for another person whose name was redacted from a transcript released under freedom of information laws.
The Government previously denied there had been discussions about the testing contract with Duolingo, which is best known for its online foreign language app.
Asked at the end of last year about its contact with Duolingo, the Department for Business and Trade claimed it ‘holds no information in scope of your request’.
Conservative MP Blake Stephenson last month asked Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood in a written parliamentary question: ‘What discussions her department has had with Duolingo on the introduction of the Home Office English Language Test?’
In response, border minister Mike Tapp said: ‘It would not be appropriate to disclose details of individual organisations’ participation in a confidential market engagement process.’
Currently, foreign nationals applying through certain legal routes must meet an A-level equivalent standard in speaking, listening, reading and writing when applying for a UK visa.
A migrant holds his head in his hand as others gather on board an inflatable boat at the beach at Dunkirk, before attempting to cross the English Channel on May 24, 2026
This is assessed through the Secure English Language Test and delivered by Pearson, IELTS SELT Consortium and Trinity College London.
But the Home Office English Language Test (HOELT) will move away from that model of using multiple Home Office-approved suppliers and instead use a test owned by the Home Office but designed by one supplier.
A consortium of leading British firms pulled out of the bidding to run HOELT, warning it ‘exposes the UK’s immigration system to weaker security’.
Duolingo is thought to be in pole position to secure the new contract after the shift to online exams cleared the way for it to bid, industry insiders said.
The role of Mr Mandelson and Global Counsel in persuading ministers to allow online testing remains unclear.
Duolingo appointed Global Counsel, the firm co-founded by Mandelson, in the period of July to September 2024, official lobbying registers reveal.
Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp has said allowing remote language tests for immigrants will be a ‘fraudsters’ charter’ and that ‘cheating will be rife’.
When the Daily Mail last month questioned the Home Office about Mandelson’s involvement on behalf of Duolingo, a spokesman said: ‘All government contracts are awarded through a fair, competitive and transparent process, and to suggest anything otherwise with this procurement process would be incorrect.’
A Duolingo spokesman said: ‘Duolingo met the minister as is typical for a major company opening its London office.
‘This took place well after the Home Office had announced publicly its intention to make HOELT “digital by default”.
‘The shift to digital testing reflects a broad policy direction the Home Office had already committed to publicly and independently.’
