Sam Claflin will be causing trouble in Birmingham (Picture: MARK CAMPBELL/MCPIX)

Sam Claflin’s role in Peaky Blinders has been confirmed as fascist leader Oswald Mosley.

Mosley was a real-life political leader in the 1930s, and is a divisive character thanks to his ever-changing stance in government, but proved popular with voters winning several different seats throughout his career.

So we’re sure he’s going to make quite the interesting playmate for the Shelby boys once he comes to town.

His followers appear dedicated as they arrive at the rally (Picture: Mark Campbell/ MCPIX)

In new on-set pictures, Sam’s face can be seen hanging high outside a town hall as he calls for a rally, and he already clearly has supporters as they salute him outside.




We wonder what will happen when he crosses paths with the area’s newly-elected MP, Tommy Shelby (Cillian Murphy).

However, his appearance would explain the anti-fascist protest that was also being filmed in Stockport’s Plaza – so we’re guessing not everyone is making him feel welcome.

Oswald Mosley ran the British Union of Fascists in the 1930s (Picture: Mark Campbell/ MCPIX)

In real life, Mosley was known for being an ‘extremely self-confident’ MP and around the time that Peaky Blinders was set, was a leader in the British Union of Fascists after working for both the Conservative and Labour Parties.

In 1924, Mosley competed with soon-to-be Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain for the seat for Birmingham Ladywood, and campaigned strongly in the area. This caused friction with Chamberlain and name calling soon began.

After losing the seat, he developed economic policy for the Independent Labour Party, known as the Birmingham Proposals.

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He was married to Lady Cynthia Curzon and together they had three children.

Sam is just one of a host of new cast members joining the popular BBC show, with Anya Taylor-Joy (Split), Hollyoaks’ Emmett J Scanlan and Brian Gleeson also being new faces in the area.

We’ve already been teased that not everybody will make it out alive as their first day of shooting in 2019 involved a gun and some blood in a woodland (well…that’s what the teaser makes us think anyway.)

Peaky Blinders series 5 will air later this year on BBC1.

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