Peaky Blinders season 5 will tackle the rise of fascism

With Peaky Blinders confirmed to return for a further two seasons – on top of the upcoming season 5 – fans have been speculating intensely about where the show is headed next.

“We are going into the 30s now. There is so much stuff happening, so why not finish the job?” creator Stephen Knight revealed to the Birmingham Mail. “The Depression and the rise of fascism form part of the storyline. It is setting those things up. In the 30s, across Europe and Britain there was the rise of fascism.”

A set-up which will help catapult the series to its final conclusion, which he envisions as: “In my mind, it ends first air raid siren in the Second World War. My mom told a story about the air raid siren going off and her mom coming in, pulling the blankets off, and saying ‘ come on, the buggers are here’.”

Paul Anderson, who plays Arthur Shelby, has also hinted at what’s on the cards for Tommy (Cillian Murphy); he may be sitting comfortably as the Labour MP for Birmingham South and two of his greatest enemies - Alfie Solomons and Luca Changretta - may be disposed of, but don’t expect things to stay settled.

Anderson told Metro that Tommy’s new political position makes the family more powerful than ever, protected by police and society, something the father will use to his advantage.

“Arthur’s not gonna be a politician,” he said. “He’s got political ties now, let’s put it that way. But you won’t see him at no rallies or in Parliament. What it gives Arthur and his family is more power. Tommy is in a position of power, and he can only get stronger in that position. So we’ll all have more cover, we’ll have more opportunity and more protection. And by protection, I mean by society and the police and so on.”

“We’ll be able to get away with things under the guise of, ‘we’re politicians, we’re respectable’. But we’ll be able to manipulate things more. Arthur will be even more Arthur. So it will be a lot of fun.”