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In late 2018, Steve Bannon, formerly a top aide to Donald Trump, visited the UK preparing for a speech at the prestigious Oxford Union.

The event was disrupted by numerous demonstrators, and Bannon, who was due to travel that evening, informed Jeffrey Epstein in an message: "Activists delayed speech I doubt I can catch the flight we are heading to the airport".

Epstein replied: "There. Is a Gulf Air departing at 950 with a layover in Bahrain". Bannon replied: "U r an amazing helper".

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

The release by the Congressional committee includes an text conversation where Bannon's name is withheld. The BBC managed to confirm his identity by matching the timeline, occurrences, and places referenced.

For instance, Epstein talks about chartering a plane from the UK for the redacted user in the messages, and commends their "Oxford speech". Bannon participated in the News Xchange conference on 14 November, and delivered the speech at the Oxford Union two days later.

Bannon, who faces no allegations of any wrongdoing, declined to comment on the request for comment.

Epstein's Assurance to Bannon

Bannon served as Trump's key advisers in the run up to the presidential election and in the early days of his presidency, but resigned from the administration in 2017.

He has admitted he was producing a film about Epstein prior to his death and allegedly has approximately 15 hours of footage. In a live taping of his show recently, he stated: "We're going to release the series, the five-part series, in the coming year - at the start of next year."

But the recently disclosed materials indicate Bannon's connection with Epstein went further than being his biographer, with the convicted paedophile at times appearing to serve like a aide.

A short time prior to the conversation in which Epstein appeared to have booked a private plane for Bannon, Epstein remarked: "how does it feel to have the highest-paid booking agent in the world ".

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

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

UK Politics Discussed in Exchanges

The published messages also show Bannon and Epstein discussing UK politics in 2018.

On the same day his address at the Oxford Union, Bannon messaged Epstein: "I've gotten pulled into the Brexit issue this day with Farage, Johnson and Mogg."

Then, in what seems like a reference to Theresa May, the struggling UK prime minister at the time, he added: "They are attempting to move on. may today / tomorrow…"

Epstein suggested Bannon: "In my view staying as much as you can uk. Best-- so people get the commitment of your follow through."

Shortly after, Epstein asked: "Can Theresa may survive". Bannon answered: "I don't see how however the people here have no balls" and noted "Johnson ; Gove; Rees Mogg; David Davis - someone has to step up".

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

A spokesman for the political party told the BBC: "Nigel Farage has not been in a meeting with Bannon, Rees-Mogg and Boris Johnson." And there is no evidence that encounter took place.

The Congress will vote next week on whether the Department of Justice should make public all its records related to its probe into Epstein, who died in jail in 2019.

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

Some of those mentioned Trump, who has repeatedly denied any impropriety. The president was a acquaintance of Epstein's for years, but claims they parted ways in the early 2000s, a couple of years before Epstein was initially charged.