Ten years since Brexit and UK prosperous vision still not a reality

Ten years ago, the U.K's seismic vote to break up with the European Union

caused a rift across the country that forges political identities to this day,

and shattered a half-century project to get closer to the continent.

Brexit, short for British exit, became a reality on June 23, 2016

when more than 17 million people - or 52% of the total votes cast in the referendum -

opted for leaving the bloc.

It was a narrow margin that led to the most dramatic shake-up of the U.K. economy

and society since World War II.

DAVID CAMERON\then-British Prime Minister

"Now I want to speak directly to the British people to explain why:

We're approaching one of the biggest decisions this country will face in our lifetimes

- whether to remain in a reformed European Union or to leave.

The choice goes to the heart of the kind of country we want to be and the future

that we want for our children."

It has been ten years since Britain left the European Union.

And the battle was on in 2016 - Brexit supporters tapped into deep frustration with the EU

and argued that the United Kingdom would be better off unshackled from it

and regaining an array of powers to be used solely for domestic priorities.

Opponents warned that Brexit would lead to economic disruption and risked

the country's standing in the world.

Brexiters held out a vision that the British economy post-Brexit

could thrive by harnessing the buccaneering spirit

that had once made it the world's biggest.

Brexiters won with the then UKIP leader and 'leave' campaigner Nigel Farage

lauding it was the right thing to do.

NIGEL FARAGE, then UKIP leader and 'Leave' campaigner

"There are 17 million people that voted for Brexit.

It's a victory for ordinary people, decent people.

It's a victory against the big merchant banks,

against the big businesses and against big politics

and I'm proud of everybody that had the courage

in the face of all the threats everybody were told,

they had the guts to stand up and do the right thing."

Several days later protesters gathered outside of the Houses of Parliament

at a rally against the country's EU referendum result.

Holding up signs reading 'Stay In'

and 'Unbrex My Heart.'

Though the COVID-19 pandemic and the wars in Ukraine and Iran

haven't helped, the Brexit prosperous vision still hasn't become a reality.

What came instead were difficulties involved in trading with European

neighbours. Brexit put an end to free movement between the UK

and EU and laborious customs paperwork and visa restrictions on goods

entering the EU from the UK.

Many of the trade deals that Brexiters touted including one with the

United States have not materialised.