Mr Gove admitted that further measures would be kept “under review” but said that he did not feel the National Insurance rise should be postponed from its introduction in April.

Soaring worldwide oil and gas prices, due to sanctions on Russia, have prompted calls for the Government to slash fuel duty.

Average fuel prices have hit record highs at 161.1p and 170.1p per litre for petrol and diesel, rising to as high as £2 per litre at some London forecourts.

Current forecasts from the Budget for Office Responsibility show that the Government is set to bring in £31.1 billion from fuel duty in 2022-23 , having frozen it at 57.95 pence since the 2011 budget.

Senior Conservatives on Sunday told The Telegraph that Mr Gove’s announcement was a “desperately bad decision” in light of the extra burden on low and middle-income households.

“The Chancellor is presumably still thinking it all through, but the cost-of-living crisis has got much much worse because of the huge disruption caused by the Russian war and the sanctions,” said Sir John Redwood.

“People on average earnings are going to be really badly hit, as well as the lower paid. People are going to struggle to pay the petrol bill, the diesel bill, the gas bill, the food bill as a result of these changes, and it’s desperately important to give them some money back.”

Sir John said this meant the Government should abandon its proposed tax rises and that the “minimum” it could do was to take VAT off green items such as insulation which could help keep household bills down, as well as off domestic fuels.