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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 Oxford Union.

The event was disrupted by hundreds of demonstrators, and Bannon, who was due to board a flight that night, informed Jeffrey Epstein in an email: "Activists delayed my talk I doubt I can catch the plane we are heading to heathrow".

Epstein replied: "There. Is a gulf air departing at 950 with a layover in Bahrain". Bannon answered: "You are an amazing assistant".

These messages were released on Wednesday together with more than 20,000 documents from the estate of Epstein, the deceased financier convicted of sex crimes.

The disclosure by the Congressional committee contains an iMessage chat where Bannon's name is withheld. The BBC managed to establish his identity by cross-referencing the timeline, occurrences, and places referenced.

For instance, Epstein talks about chartering a plane from the UK for the redacted user in the chat, and offers praise their "Oxford speech". Bannon took part in the Edinburgh conference on 14 November, and gave the speech 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 key aides in the run up to the 2016 election and in the early days of his first administration, but stepped down from the administration in August 2017.

He has acknowledged he was making a film about Epstein before his death and reportedly has approximately 15 hours of recordings. In a live taping of his podcast earlier this year, he said: "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 suggest Bannon's relationship with Epstein went further than documenting his life, with the convicted paedophile at times seeming to act like a personal assistant.

A few days before the exchange in which Epstein seemed to booked a private plane for Bannon, Epstein said: "what's it like to have the highest-paid travel agent in the world ".

Bannon expressed gratitude: "You are quite capable assistant", to which Epstein replied "Therapies. Not Included".

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

UK Politics Discussed in Messages

The released messages also reveal Bannon and Epstein talking about British political matters in 2018.

On the day of his speech at the Oxford Union, Bannon messaged Epstein: "I've gotten pulled into the EU exit issue this morning with Farage, Boris and Mogg."

Then, in what appears to be a allusion to the UK prime minister, the embattled UK prime minister at the time, he added: "The guys are attempting to proceed. May soon…"

Epstein suggested Bannon: "In my view staying as much as you can uk. Best-- so others see the dedication of your follow-up."

Soon after, Epstein asked: "Can Theresa May survive". Bannon replied: "I don't see how BUT the people here have no balls" and noted "Johnson ; Michael Gove; Rees Mogg; David Davis - somebody has to step up".

May was eventually toppled in 2019 after surviving two votes of lack of support in late 2018.

A representative for Reform UK informed the BBC: "Farage has never been in a gathering with Steve Bannon, Rees-Mogg and Boris Johnson." And there is no evidence such a meeting took place.

The Congress will decide soon on whether the Department of Justice should release all its records related to its investigation into Epstein, who died in jail in that year.

Interest in Epstein's associations with influential individuals was reignited this week after the release of over 20,000 pages from his archives.

Some of those mentioned the former president, who has consistently denied any wrongdoing. The leader was a acquaintance of Epstein's for years, but says they fell out in the early 2000s, a couple of years prior to Epstein was first arrested.