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In November 2018, Steve Bannon, previously a top aide to Donald Trump, visited the UK preparing for a address at the prestigious Oxford Union.

The speech was interrupted by hundreds of demonstrators, and Bannon, who was due to board a flight that night, informed Jeffrey Epstein in an message: "Activists delayed speech don't think I can make the flight we r enroute to heathrow".

Epstein responded: "That. Is a gulf air that leaves at 950 with a stop in Bahrain". Bannon replied: "U r an excellent assistant".

These messages were released on Wednesday alongside over 20,000 pages from the records of Epstein, the deceased financier convicted of sex crimes.

The release by the Congressional committee includes an text conversation where Bannon's name is redacted. The BBC managed to establish his identity by cross-referencing the timeline, occurrences, and places referenced.

For example, Epstein talks about chartering a jet from the UK for the unnamed individual in the messages, and commends their "address at Oxford". Bannon took part in the News Xchange conference on November 14, and delivered the talk at the Oxford two days later.

Bannon, who faces no allegations of any misconduct, declined to comment on the inquiry.

Epstein's Assurance to Bannon

Bannon was one of Trump's closest advisers in the run up to the presidential election and in the early days of his first administration, but stepped down from the White House in August 2017.

He has admitted he was making a film about Epstein before his death and reportedly has around 15 hours of footage. In a live taping of his podcast earlier this year, he stated: "We plan to release the film, the multi-part documentary, next year - at the start of next year."

But the recently disclosed materials suggest Bannon's relationship with Epstein extended than being his biographer, with the disgraced financier at times appearing to serve like a personal assistant.

A short time prior to the exchange in which Epstein seemed to arranged a private plane for Bannon, Epstein said: "how does it feel to have the highest-paid travel agent in history ".

Bannon expressed gratitude: "U r pretty good asst", to which Epstein responded "Massages. Excluded".

Discussing a visit to "Abu Dhabi" in another message, Epstein told Bannon: "I'll make sure you are taken care of."

UK Politics Mentioned in Messages

The released messages also show Bannon and Epstein talking about UK politics in that year.

On the same day his speech at the Oxford Union, Bannon messaged Epstein: "I became involved in the EU exit thing this day with Nigel, Boris and Rees Mogg."

Then, in what appears to be a allusion to Theresa May, the embattled British leader at the time, he continued: "The guys are trying to proceed. May today / tomorrow…"

Epstein advised Bannon: "I think remaining as much as you can in the UK. Ideal- so people get the dedication of your follow-up."

Soon after, Epstein inquired: "Will Theresa May survive". Bannon answered: "It seems unlikely however the guys over here have little courage" and noted "Johnson ; Michael Gove; Jacob Rees-Mogg; David Davis - somebody has to take charge".

Theresa May was eventually toppled in 2019 after withstanding multiple attempts of lack of support in December 2018.

A spokesman for Reform UK told the BBC: "Nigel Farage has not been in a meeting with Bannon, Jacob Rees Mogg and Boris Johnson." And there is no evidence that encounter occurred.

The US House of Representatives will vote soon on whether the Department of Justice should make public all its records concerning its probe into Epstein, who passed away in prison in that year.

Attention in Epstein's associations with influential individuals was renewed recently after the publication of over 20,000 documents from his archives.

Some of those referenced the former president, who has consistently rejected any impropriety. The president was a acquaintance of Epstein's for years, but says they parted ways in the 2000s, two years before Epstein was first arrested.