On Friday 24th June, day of the result of the Brexit Referendum, Matt Black went to two very specific places: Canary Wharf in London and Basildon in Essex. Canary Wharf hosts the headquarters of major banks such as Barclays and HSBC and is the main European home for Citi Group, Bank of America and Morgan Stanley. One of the first and most notable reactions to Brexit was on the stock market, where the pound dropped to its lowest level since 1985 immediately following result.

Basildon, a new town 32-miles outside of Central London, has experienced decline in recent years, with many shops in the...