Econ Insights: Low Skill-Low Wage-Low Productivity and Brexit

In this series, we look at interesting data sets to uncover hidden insights.

Using the 'Left Behind' Index I constructed here, I plotted the local authorities against the percentage voting to leave the European Union (red/orange = majority to remain, green/blue = majority to leave, size = number of voters).

The correlation is surprisingly strong (R-squared = 0.48) which lends credibility to the argument that the Brexit vote is fundamentally the result of economic dissatisfaction.

Exploring further, I looked at how the various components of the index relate to the results.

The most striking result being strength of the relationship between qualifications and the vote to Leave.