Brexit 10 years on: What has changed in the UK explained in maps and charts

On June 23, 2016, exactly 10 years ago, a close referendum saw just over half of Britons vote to leave the European Union (EU) after years of campaigning that Britain would be better off outside the bloc. A decade on, the promises made during the referendum campaign have largely failed to materialise. Research suggests the UK economy is smaller than it would have been, migration is higher, and compared to its peers, the UK is falling behind. Recommended Stories list of 3 items end of list Here are seven charts to explain Brexit and how it has played out. What was Brexit? To understand Brexit, you have to go back long before the vote and trace how the UK’s relationship with Europe evolved. In 1973, driven by sluggish economic growth, Britain joined the European Economic Community (EEC), a six-member economic trading bloc. According to data from the Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR), Britain’s GDP per capita was almost 30 percent higher than that of the EEC nations in 1950, yet by 1973 it was roughly 10 percent lower. In this January 22, 1972, file photo, British Prime Minister Edward Heath, centre, signs the treaty for Britain to join the European Economic Community at the Palais d’Egmont in Brussels, Belgium. …