Former Liberal Democrats leader Paddy Ashdown branded Theresa May’s Cabinet "revivifying vipers" in his final tweet.

The politician died this evening aged 77, the Lib Dems confirmed.

Sir Vince Cable, the current party leader, said it was "a hugely sad day".

Lord Ashdown, who was the longest serving leader of the Lib Dems in its history, regularly tweeted scathing analysis of politics, including his views on the current Conservative Party.

His final tweet was published on November 26, days after the EU27 leaders agreed her Brexit deal.

The impassioned tweet read: "Having snoozed contentedly over the weekend while their poor orphan leader has been out trying to win support for the insupportable, watch what happens next as May’s Cabinet of revivifying vipers, snuff [sniff] the air and slither off in search of advantage for the next stage."

It has since been liked by more than 1,000 people and widely shared.

One Twitter user wrote: "Sorry to hear of Paddy’s death but this last tweet stands as a fitting tribute."

Another posted: "Amazing guy, haven’t had a leader like him since.

One man said: "Neatly sums up present Government. Sorry you weren’t leader at coalition. RIP"

And another shared: "Paddy was the sort of politician we sorely miss in frontline British politics these days."

Lord Ashdown, MP for Yeovil from 1983 to 2001, had last month also called Brexit a "shambles" and the Conservative Party "incompetent" in other poignant tweets.

The grandfather did, though, describe Mrs May as "the only adult in the room".

He became High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina in May 2002.

Sir Nick Clegg, who would as leader take the Liberal Democrats into government in 2010, said: "Paddy was the reason I entered politics.

"He was the reason I became a liberal."

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