The last thing retail needs is a December election, as Boris Johnson has called for.

Falling as it would in the most intense trading period of the year – a year that has been hard grind for a host of reasons – the danger is that the associated political and economic uncertainty might derail seasonal spending.

Months and years of Brexit paralysis have hung over retail like the sword of Damocles. Retailers have had to prepare for all sorts of contingencies ranging from delays at the ports to a volatile pound.

And the Westminster limbo has affected consumer sentiment. While measures of confidence have held up well, retailers are seeing evidence to the contrary as they have frequently pointed out in cautious forward-looking statements.

The prospect of shoppers keeping a close eye on their purses at the height of the golden quarter while the politicians duke it out is as appetising as leftover sprouts.

There’s no question of consumers cancelling Christmas. Nobody will turn their back on the traditional turkey or pass on the kids’ presents.

But they may be more discriminating in their purchases. Maybe they won’t trade up quite as much as they would otherwise; maybe they don’t need a sackful of presents.

That’s the message from a forecast by the Centre for Retail Research, which envisages a 0.8% uplift in the six weeks to the end of December, falling to just 0.2% in the event of a no-deal Brexit.

It is possible things could turn out otherwise. Broker Peel Hunt took a glass-half-full view in a note today.

The broker acknowledged that elections are generally not good for footfall. That especially affects big-ticket retailers, which can suffer declines between 4% and 5%.

Volatile times

But a December 12 polling day might not be so bad, Peel Hunt maintained: “Perversely, we feel it may be a net positive for the sector and better timing than a January election. The upside case is a resurgent consumer, freed from uncertainty, two weeks ahead of Christmas.

“It won’t improve life for struggling retailers, and it won’t bring consumers back on to failing high streets, but it may well take away the feeling of doom and gloom ahead of peak.”

It’s a coherent argument but it depends on one thing – that the consumer really is freed from uncertainty. That is far from certain. It’s perfectly possible to imagine a minority government or hung parliament, and then it’s back to square one. It’s perfectly possible too that Johnson’s hopes of an election are dashed, and the present muddle persists.

In such volatile times, retailers cannot afford to let all the imponderables divert them from the day job.

“Even harsher trading conditions precipitated by more political turmoil might push some retailers over the edge, but that would only be the final nail”

The ongoing political turbulence and the still unknown form that Brexit might take are troubling, but they will not ultimately dictate the fortunes of the industry and its constituent businesses.

Even harsher trading conditions precipitated by more political turmoil might push some retailers over the edge, but that would only be the final nail in the coffin of businesses that have failed more fundamentally.

Brexit was blamed as a contributor to the collapse of Bonmarche last week, but it was surely only one factor undermining a business that has struggled for years.

Not everyone will agree with Peel Hunt’s sanguine take on a December election, but nobody would dispute one of the key points the broker also made: “The biggest factors within the retail sector remain being relevant and engaged with consumers.”

Retailers that can do that will weather an election better than some of the candidates fighting for their seats.