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In late 2018, Steve Bannon, previously Donald Trump's chief strategist, visited the UK to deliver a speech at the prestigious Oxford Union.

The speech was disrupted by numerous protesters, and Bannon, who was due to travel that evening, informed Jeffrey Epstein in an message: "Activists delayed my talk I doubt I can catch the plane we r enroute to heathrow".

Epstein replied: "There. Is a gulf air departing at 9:50 with a layover in Bahrain". Bannon replied: "You are an amazing assistant".

These messages were released on this week alongside more than 20,000 pages from the records of Epstein, the late financier convicted of sex crimes.

The disclosure by the House oversight committee contains an iMessage chat where Bannon's name is withheld. The BBC has been able to confirm his identity by matching the timeline, occurrences, and locations referenced.

For example, Epstein discusses chartering a jet from Scotland for the redacted user in the messages, and offers praise their "Oxford speech". Bannon took part in the News Xchange conference on 14 November, and gave the talk at the Oxford two days later.

Bannon, who is not accused of any misconduct, declined to comment on the request for comment.

'I'll make sure you're well looked after'

Bannon served as the president's closest advisers in the run up to the presidential election and during the initial phase of his first administration, but resigned from the White House in 2017.

He has admitted he was producing a film about Epstein before his death and allegedly has approximately 15 hours of recordings. In a live taping of his podcast recently, he said: "We plan to release the series, the five-part series, next year - early next year."

But the newly released documents suggest Bannon's relationship with Epstein extended than being his biographer, with the disgraced financier at times seeming to act like a aide.

A few days before the exchange in which Epstein appeared to have arranged a charter jet for Bannon, Epstein said: "what's it like to have the highest-paid booking agent in the world ".

Bannon thanked him: "U r quite capable asst", to which Epstein responded "Massages. Excluded".

Discussing a trip to "AD" in another message, Epstein assured Bannon: "I'll make sure you are well looked after."

British Affairs Mentioned in Exchanges

The published communications also reveal Bannon and Epstein discussing UK politics in 2018.

Earlier on the same day his address at the Oxford, Bannon texted Epstein: "I've gotten pulled into the Brexit issue this day with Farage, Johnson and Rees Mogg."

Then, in what appears to be a allusion to Theresa May, the embattled British leader at the period, he continued: "They are trying to move on. May soon…"

Epstein advised Bannon: "I think staying as long as you can uk. Best-- so others see the commitment of your follow-up."

Soon after, Epstein asked: "Will Theresa may survive". Bannon answered: "I don't see how however the people over here have no balls" and noted "Johnson ; Michael Gove; Jacob Rees-Mogg; Davis - somebody has to step up".

Theresa May was eventually toppled in May 2019 after withstanding two votes of no confidence in late 2018.

A spokesman for Reform UK told the BBC: "Farage has not been in a meeting with Bannon, Jacob Rees Mogg and Johnson." And there is nothing to suggest that encounter occurred.

The Congress will vote next week on whether the justice department should release all its files concerning its probe into Epstein, who died in jail in that year.

Attention in Epstein's associations with powerful figures was reignited this week after the release of over 20,000 documents from his estate.

A portion of those referenced the former president, who has consistently denied any impropriety. The leader was a friend of Epstein's for years, but says they fell out in the early 2000s, two years before Epstein was initially charged.