Ed Miliband is accused of dithering over dispute

Ed Miliband came under fire from Tories today for sitting on the fence over the latest Tube strike.

The fresh attack on the Labour leader followed a weekend when his rhetoric was criticised for lacking meaning and three shadow cabinet members rebelled against his stance on the 50p tax rate.

Mr Miliband has repeatedly refused to intervene in the Tube dispute and recently suggested there was "fault on both sides". He has sympathised with four million travellers suffering disruption but declined to say whether he thinks the strike is justified.

Transport Secretary Philip Hammond said: "Londoners having to brave the cold will certainly see this strike as irresponsible. Does Ed Miliband agree with them or his union bosses?"

A spokesman for Mr Miliband said the Labour leader felt "megaphone diplomacy" was unhelpful and believed both sides should get round the table. Mr Miliband has previously criticised the timing of BBC and firemen's strikes.

His launch of a two-year policy review was overshadowed when Tessa Jowell said his pet phrase "the squeezed middle" was "cumbersome", while Alan Johnson, Liam Byrne and Douglas Alexander all said the 50p tax rate should be reviewed at the next election.