Sir Vince Cable will say the Liberal Democrats are on a mission to go from "protest back to power" as he addresses the party's spring conference just days after setting out the timetable for his departure.

The 75-year-old who will step down as leader after the local elections in May, said the party had to continue arguing for the benefits of staying in the European Union (EU) as the Brexit debate rages at Westminster.

He will use his speech in York to accuse Theresa May of putting a higher priority on keeping the Conservative Party together than maintaining peace in Northern Ireland in her efforts to revise the Brexit deal's backstop.

Declaring that "we are Remain", he will say: "To those outside the Westminster bubble, the parliamentary games on Brexit are baffling: a weird combination of snakes and ladders, chess and all-in wrestling.

"Whatever happens in the next few weeks of parliamentary twists and turns, we must argue - since no-one else can be relied upon to do so - that none of the several mutually exclusive versions of Brexit on offer - soft or hard - are as good as the deal we currently have."

Tariffs in the event of a no-deal Brexit Show all 15 1 /15 Tariffs in the event of a no-deal Brexit Tariffs in the event of a no-deal Brexit Pork There will be tariffs on pork in order to protect British farmers Getty Tariffs in the event of a no-deal Brexit Cheese There will be tariffs in place on some cheeses including €22.10/100kg of cheddar, €19.10/100kg of processed cheese and €18.60/100kg on some blue cheeses Getty Tariffs in the event of a no-deal Brexit Milk There will be no tariffs in place on milk Getty Tariffs in the event of a no-deal Brexit Car Parts There will be no tariffs on car parts imported from Europe PA Tariffs in the event of a no-deal Brexit Cars However finished cars will face tariffs of 10.6% Getty Tariffs in the event of a no-deal Brexit Alcoholic drinks There will be no tariffs on alcoholic drinks - except on some rums due to ingredients used in their distilling process Getty Tariffs in the event of a no-deal Brexit Beef There will be tariffs on beef in order to protect British farmers Getty Tariffs in the event of a no-deal Brexit Fish There will be no tariffs on many types of fish including cod, haddock, salmon and sea bass Getty Tariffs in the event of a no-deal Brexit Fruit and vegetables There will be no tariffs on almost all fruit and vegetables Getty Tariffs in the event of a no-deal Brexit Chocolate There will be no tariffs on chocolate or other cocoa products Getty Tariffs in the event of a no-deal Brexit Poultry There will be tariffs on poultry in order to protect British farmers Getty Tariffs in the event of a no-deal Brexit Ceramics There will be some tariffs in place on ceramis Getty Tariffs in the event of a no-deal Brexit Steel There will be no tariffs on steel Getty Tariffs in the event of a no-deal Brexit Coal There will be no tariffs on coal Getty Tariffs in the event of a no-deal Brexit Lamb/Mutton There will be tariffs on the meat of sheep in order to protect British farmers Getty

"The Prime Minister's efforts to win over Tory Eurosceptics have focused on attempts to revise the backstop, the measures in the Brexit deal aimed at preventing the return of a hard border. The intensity of the campaign to remove it speaks volumes about the underlying motives of those who demanded Brexit and now demand a 'clear Brexit'. They simply deny our history, which is entwined with that of Ireland."

Sir Vince will target Northern Ireland Secretary Karen Bradley for criticism after a series of gaffes.

"It really is quite shocking that this Government is so lacking in talent that it employs a Secretary of State for Northern Ireland who says she doesn't understand sectarian voting patterns and then compounds this public declaration of ignorance with a blatantly and naively one-sided view of the killings in the Troubles," he will say.

"Ms Bradley has revealed an ugly truth: that peace in Ireland matters less than peace in the Conservative Party."

Sir Vince, who clashed repeatedly with Ms May over immigration policy while they sat around the Cabinet table during the coalition years, will use his speech to return to the issue, saying it highlights the divides in British politics.

"Our mission to move from survival to success, from protest back to power, takes place in a world where liberal values are under siege and in retreat," he will say. "Nothing quite defines liberalism like its opposite, illustrated by Theresa May's policies on immigration."