All of Rishi Sunak’s campaign pledges from the summer leadership contest are under review.

The prime minister’s official spokeswoman said that the pledges were made a few months ago, when the context was “somewhat different”.

Secretaries of state are to be consulted on the specifics of their departments.

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There was no end point for the review, the spokeswoman said.

“We are looking at all the campaign pledges and we are looking at whether it is the right time to take them forward,” she said.

“We need to take some time to make sure what is deliverable and what is possible, and engaging with stakeholders and with the relevant secretaries of state as well.

“Obviously, those are pledges that were made a few months ago now and the context is somewhat different, obviously, economically.

“We need to look again.”

Mr Sunak has already dropped his plan to fine patients £10 for missing GP appointments.

Downing Street said the PM had listened to GPs and NHS leaders “and agreed now is not the time to take this policy forward”.

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Among the critics, the British Medical Association (BMA) said the plans would “make matters worse” and threaten the principle of free NHS care at the point of need.

This morning, Transport Secretary Mark Harper also cast doubt on the high speed rail link connecting Manchester and Leeds, saying the government is looking at “all the options” ahead of expected spending cuts in the autumn statement later this month.

Key pledges made by Mr Sunak in the leadership contest include:

• Cut the basic rate of income tax from 20p to 16p by the end of the next parliament
• Scrap or reform all EU legislation by the next election
• Continue the Rwanda deportation scheme, alongside a 10-point plan to tackle immigration
• Block housing on the greenbelt
• Rail improvements in the North, including HS2 trains up to Leeds
• Commit to reaching net zero emissions by 2050.

The PM’s spokeswoman was also asked if Mr Sunak is committed to the 2019 manifesto pledge not to raise taxes, and said that, while the PM strives for a low tax economy, “a lot of things have happened” since then and “we are feeling effects”.

The admission from Downing Street is likely to fuel fresh calls for a general election, which opposition parties have been demanding since the collapse of Boris Johnson’s government in July.

Mr Sunak took on Liz Truss for the Tory leadership over the summer, but lost out to her in the race to succeed Mr Johnson after Tory party members favoured her tax-slashing plan for growth over his fiscally conservative policies.

However, the former chancellor saw a swift reversal in fortunes when Ms Truss resigned after just 44 days in the job.

He won the support of Tory MPs and became leader in a swift second leadership contest that didn’t go to the wider party membership.

He now faces the task of balancing the books following the fallout from his predecessor’s disastrous mini-budget.

The prime minister and his chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, are said to be eyeing up rough tax rises and spending cuts to fill a £40bn black hole in the nation’s coffers.