Why snap UK election may not banish 'Brexit blues'

THE UK House of Commons voted on Tuesday for the first general election to be held in the month of December since 1923. While the ballot could be the most consequential in the post-war period, it may yet fail to resolve the vexed issue of Brexit which has split the nation down the middle since 2016.

As Prime Minister Boris Johnson reaches the end of his first 100 days in office this week, the vote is widely perceived as a victory for him - despite the big uncertainties that might now ensue in a winter ballot at a time of unprecedented voter volatility. For much of the period since he entered Downing Street, Mr Johnson has followed, rather than set, the agenda - but he now hopes to shape the campaign narrative around "getting Brexit done", while the Opposition Labour Party will try to broaden the agenda to other key domestic issues such as the legacy of public service cuts over the last decade.

While MPs voted for a Dec 12 ballot, a significant number of them are rightly concerned that a general election may be unable to heal the stark Brexit divisions in the country and provide a pathway forward following the referendum more than three years ago. One reason for this is that much of the electorate is unenthused by the third national election in four years - and just a fortnight before Christmas too!