[DrBazza]

>When I left the UK, there was a large & growing political/economic divide, unaffordable housing and poor/declining public services.

None of those are particular to Brexit. House prices have been unaffordable to many in Britain since the 80s, and even more so, in the 90s. Houses prices are also supply and demand. Since Britain's population has increased by almost 10 million since 1997, demand vastly outstrips supply, especially in the south-east. This affects public services too.

Political divide is an interesting one. Given the two party politics in the UK, plus fringes, and the rise of social media (and Warhol's prophecy), this would also be a problem. Brexit made it worse, but without a crystal ball, it's impossible to say how much worse.