Alan Roden: Johnson looks set to receive an early Christmas present with December election

It was late April – springtime – and it was snowing in the Highlands.

The last General Election to be held in winter may well have technically been February 1974, but it should be remembered that we had winter weather during the most recent campaign.

And it was far from ideal.

While it’s not the case – as some London-based commentators seem to think - that Scotland goes into hibernation during winter, there is an undeniable risk of bad weather if an election is held this December.

And not just for those of living north of the Border, either. Parts of Cumbria have been repeatedly hit by severe flooding at this time of year.

There are also many other reasons why, logistically, this is a terrible idea.

While the stakes may be high, short and dark winter days are unlikely to increase voter turnout.

It was Ian Blackford, the SNP Westminster leader, who said last Thursday: “People are not going to thank you for asking them to come out and vote in a General Election when we're in the middle of winter."

He has, of course, changed his mind now. But three days is a long time in a party which defines a "generation" as just a few years.

Perhaps the greatest logistical challenge, however, is not winter – but Christmas.

There is certain to be increased demand for postal votes, yet the Royal Mail will already be dealing with the challenge of the Christmas post.

And when it comes to find polling stations, many venues are already booked up for pantomimes and other festive events.

Can we really expect the public to engage with the political debate at this time of year? The TV schedules are supposed to be dominated by the John Lewis advert and the Strictly Come Dancing finale, not Party Election Broadcasts and leaders’ debates.

Imagine the disappointment when the doorbell goes and it isn’t the delivery of a Christmas present, but a shivering party canvasser.

For many elderly people, opening the door to a stranger in the dark can also be scary.

The impact on political staff has been somewhat overlooked in this debate.

Firstly, the MPs’ staff: there are over 3,000 of them. If their MP is standing down at the election or they lose their seat, the workers will be made redundant. Right before Christmas.

And for hard-working party staff, this is the time of year when they usually get to wind down and see their families.

For many of them, the constant threat of an election means they haven’t been allowed to take holidays this year and now they risk missing out on a much-needed festive break.

Yet those in favour of a snap election insist that Parliament is paralysed so there is no choice but to go the polls to resolve this constitutional crisis.

It’s clear that most politicians’ position on this is determined by what’s in their party’s best interests.

For the Tories, a December election is a chance to secure a majority and deliver the pledge to "get Brexit done" early in 2020.

For the LibDems, it’s a chance to capitalise on the party’s standing in the polls before the numbers start to fall back.

For the SNP, it’s a chance to build momentum for a second independence referendum and avoid an election amidst the fall-out from the forthcoming Alex Salmond trial.

And for Labour, avoiding a December election dominated by Brexit is the best way to avoid a catastrophic defeat.

Because any election in December will be a proxy referendum on Brexit.

As the news broke on Saturday evening that the SNP and LibDems were joining forces to push for a December 9 contest, people from across the political divide found themselves – many for the first time – in agreement with maverick Nationalist MP Angus MacNeil.

“I am not getting bounced into this... Thursday it was ‘madness’ to have a winter election. Any election now will be a proxy Brexit referendum and hard Brexit could be won in six weeks on only 35% to 40% of the vote!!” he wrote on Twitter.

And he’s right.

Nicola Sturgeon claims that Mr Johnson would "much prefer to fight an election with Brexit already delivered".

Really? In fact, his opponents risk handing the Prime Minister a simple election message that this is the last chance to "get Brexit done"; whereas a contest held after Brexit has taken place or been stopped would force him to campaign instead on public services – a battle in which he would surely do far worse.

There are, of course, plenty of SNP strategists who will be far from upset if the Tories return to majority government, "drag Scotland out of the EU against its will", and provide yet another grievance to air and fresh impetus for a second independence referendum.

And, if the polls are accurate, an early General Election and Johnson victory will kill off the People’s Vote campaign for a final say on Brexit.

That’s no bad thing for the SNP – it came onboard quite late and quite reluctantly, and many within its ranks believe it would open the door to a future confirmatory referendum on any "deal" to leave the UK.

But the LibDems are supposed to be a key partner in the battle for a People’s Vote, not the SNP’s partner.

There is widespread anger within the movement over their new tactic to give Boris Johnson the election he wants, even if it’s not on his precise terms.

As things stand, the only way to get a People’s Vote is through an amendment to the Withdrawal Agreement Bill. Yes, the numbers are about a dozen short, but it fluctuates depending on circumstance - and if it’s a choice between a People’s Vote or Mr Johnson’s deal, it stands a chance.

At the very least, the LibDems shouldn’t be killing the opportunity stone dead.

Instead, Boris Johnson now looks set to receive an early Christmas present with an election in December.

It delivers a gift for him, but there will be no festive cheer for many if it also delivers Brexit.