Which communist character is Ada Shelby's husband in series 1?

Freddie Thorne is Ada Shelby’s husband in series 1 of Peaky Blinders. He is a known communist, a former soldier and one of Tommy Shelby’s wartime comrades.

Freddie and Ada’s relationship creates a serious conflict inside the Shelby family. Ada is Tommy’s sister, while Freddie’s political beliefs and communist organising put him directly at odds with the authorities. Their romance is already established when the first series begins, and Freddie is forced to flee Birmingham during the police crackdown on communists and the search for the stolen guns.

The character is easy to confuse with other men linked to the Shelby family. Billy Kimber is a criminal rival who controls race meetings, Michael Gray is Polly’s son and a later business figure, and Ben Younger appears much later as a military intelligence officer. Freddie is the communist husband of Ada, and their child is Karl Thorne.