SIR Vince Cable has used his final conference speech as Liberal Democrat leader to urge his party to exploit splits in Labour and the Tories to move “from protest back to power”.

He also told delegates in York to keep fighting to remain in the EU.

Sir Vince, who retires in May, said local elections in England the same month offered a chance to rebuild after the bruising losses that followed the Coalition with the Tories.

He said: “This year’s local elections must be the place where we finally shake off the set-back of two damaging general elections, and regain confidence, building on the advances of the last year. We can and will.

“The environment in which we do so has now changed. We are seeing early signs of some realignment. The breakaway group of independent MPs is a sign of that.

“I have been very clear that we must welcome a realignment of British politics and the opportunities it presents.

“I have also been clear that we should offer the hand of friendship to those who want to work with us rather than against us.”

The Independent Group of disaffected former Labour and Tory MPs has 11 members in Westminster, the same number as the LibDems, posing a threat to the established party.

Sir Vince admitted the TIG, which wants to become a party and fight elections, would be chasing LibDem votes, but he added: “The new group has a following wind from people who are curious about something new, and who admire their decision to break with their parties. There is nothing yet beyond Westminster.

“No local infrastructure. No local base. They are very exposed to a wipe-out in an early election. We aren’t.”

Referring to former leader Tim Farron’s description of the party as “cockroaches” which would survive a nuclear war, Sir Vince said: “I think we can do more than survive.”

He added: “If, as I sense, the two old, tired and increasingly discredited major parties are to fracture, we shall move forward not in small steps, but in leaps and bounds.”

On Brexit and a People’s Vote, Sir Vince said: “I remain astounded that some people claim a new referendum would be undemocratic. What is democracy if it is not the right for a country to change its mind?”

Showing age has not mellowed him, the 75-year-old was fiercely critical of Theresa May and her hapless Northern Ireland Secretary Karen Bradley.

He said the government was “so lacking in talent” it had an NI Secretary who didn’t know about sectarian voting and had a “naively one-sided view of the killings in the Troubles”, a dig at Ms Bradley saying killings by security forces were “not crimes”.

He said: “Ms Bradley has revealed an ugly truth: that peace in Ireland matters less than peace in the Conservative Party.”