Editorial Comment:

For the third time in four years the country is to go to the polls in a general election, to be held on Thursday Dec 12. Counting the referendum in 2016 and the European elections in May, this is the fifth set of nationwide polls since 2015. Voters can be excused if they have ballot fatigue. We are all “Brendas from Bristol” now. But while weariness is understandable, this election is necessary. We have argued for some weeks that the lack of a majority for the Conservatives was not only hampering the delivery of Brexit but threatening the good governance of the nation. Had Jeremy Corbyn got his way, this parliamentary paralysis would have continued into the new year; he has three times refused to back election resolutions brought under the Fixed-term Parliaments Act (FTPA) that required the backing of two-thirds of MPS.

His hand was eventually forced by the Liberal Democrats and the SNP who supported a change to the FTPA allowing an election to take place.

The Labour leader’s protestations in the Commons that he had not been running scared of the voters and wanted an election all along rang hollow. Even to the bitter end, the parliamentary shenanigans continued amid rumoured Opposition efforts to extend the franchise to 16- and 17-yearolds. Another amendment would have allowed EU citizens with settled status to vote in the election.

Neither was ruled in order because they were outside the scope of the Bill. It would have been impossible in any case to change the electoral registers to include younger voters in time for a December election to which everyone had already committed. If the opposition parties really want to extend the franchise they can do so if they win the election.

The Opposition wanted the election on Dec 9 but the Government defeated that date by 20 votes, a rare victory in a parliamentary session that has lasted less than a month. This will be the first winter election since February 1974 and the first in December for almost 100 years. In both polls, the turnout was above 70 per cent, suggesting that voters are not put off by the dark, damp and cold. If people think a great matter needs to be resolved they will vote. Single issue elections are rare but in 1974 – the “Who Governs?” poll – and the 1910 election (also in December) on Lords reform were called to resolve specific issues. This election will be unambiguously about Brexit, still to be determined more than three years after the country voted in a referendum to leave the EU.

Brexit Day should have been tomorrow and while Boris Johnson failed to meet the deadline, voters know he tried his best to get it over the line but was thwarted at every turn. True, he finally secured the support of MPS for his Withdrawal Agreement Bill but that was only for the principle.

Critics who claim the Prime Minister would have finally got Brexit had he pushed on with the legislation are being disingenuous. They would have done everything they could to change or delay it. We would have approached the next deadline of January 31 with the matter still unresolved. This protracted uncertainty has damaged the country, affected investment decisions and made planning risky or impossible. Mr Johnson has a clear story to put to the country – vote him back with a good majority and Brexit will be concluded on the terms agreed with the EU this month. The country can then move on.

The Lib Dems also have a clear policy – they want to revoke Brexit and overturn the referendum decision. Labour, however, is proposing to reopen the talks, negotiate yet another deal and put a revised agreement to the country in a referendum in which many shadow ministers would vote to remain.

Labour’s policy is a confusing mess which is why Mr Corbyn is desperate to focus on domestic policy such as the NHS and public spending. Much of Mr Johnson’s brief premiership has been a preparation for this election, with a slew of promises intended to blunt Labour’s attack and appeal to their voters.

He has pledged to build more hospitals, increase the national minimum wage, recruit more police and introduce tougher sentences for hardened criminals. But while those issues will feature in the campaign this is first and foremost an election about Brexit. The country must give Mr Johnson the majority to get it done.