“We’ve been the forgotten people for so long,” states one of the long-standing committee members of Wibsey Working Men’s Club in Last Orders, the first of a season of films exploring issues facing Britain’s white working class in the 21st century.

Film-maker Henry Singer was intrigued by his latest assignment: to spend four months in Bradford making a film about a working men’s club. The Emmy and Bafta-nominated director admits that, as an American, he knew little about such clubs before he arrived except that they served cheap beer, hosted light entertainment and were once the thriving hub of working-class communities. Today, almost four per week are going out of business and the newly imposed smoking ban further threatens their survival.

Just 10 minutes from Bradford city centre is the village of Wibsey, home to the Wibsey Working Men’s Club: a private members’ club owned by the members and run by a volunteer committee. Where once the club was the cornerstone of the community, it’s now home to a few stalwart regulars with few younger people coming through the door.

Singer followed the struggle of the committee to keep the club’s doors open. He also joined several of them at work, and uncovers a community in decline and struggling to adapt to the changes in 21st-century Britain.

Alongside unemployment and the lack of opportunities for their children, many members feel betrayed by the Labour Party and reveal what they feel is the inevitable search for a political party that represents their interests. In addition, many blame the Government for the number of immigrants arriving in cities such as Bradford, which they feel threatens their job prospects and is changing the make-up of a city they love. Finally, there is their fear that the club, which has always united their community, may not survive.

Friday 7 March
9.00-10.30pm BBC TWO