Tony Blair’s 2002 meeting with Jeffrey Epstein confirmed by newly released memo

Sir Tony Blair met financier Jeffrey Epstein in Downing Street in May 2002, while serving as UK prime minister, following lobbying from Lord Peter Mandelson, the BBC has confirmed.

The meeting took place six years before Epstein pleaded guilty in 2008 to soliciting prostitution from a minor.

A memo by senior civil servant Matthew Rycroft, dated 14 May 2002, briefed Blair ahead of the 17:00 GMT meeting. It described Epstein as “a financial adviser to the super-rich and a property developer,” and highlighted his connections to Bill Clinton, Peter Mandelson, and the Duke of York.

The memo noted that Epstein travelled with Clinton and suggested that a conversation with him about science and international economic and monetary trends could be valuable. The document was marked “restricted” and was also sent to Blair’s chief of staff, Jonathan Powell and special adviser Geoffrey Norris.

Blair’s spokesperson said the prime minister met Epstein for less than 30 minutes to discuss US and UK politics and never engaged with him again, stressing that the meeting occurred long before Epstein’s crimes were known.

Emails reviewed by the BBC show Mandelson pressed for the meeting, telling Powell that Epstein was “safe” and emphasising Clinton’s desire to introduce Blair to him. The May 7, 2002, email described Epstein as “young and vibrant” and noted that he was flexible in scheduling a visit to London. Handwritten notes on the email, some partially illegible, appear to question whether Blair should proceed, noting limited information about Epstein.

At the time, Mandelson was a backbench MP, having twice resigned from the cabinet, but he remained influential in Labour circles. Clinton has acknowledged knowing Epstein but stated he had no knowledge of Epstein’s crimes. Epstein was later convicted in Florida in 2008 and died in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.

The release of the documents, including Rycroft’s briefing and related correspondence, was previously blocked by government officials over concerns about UK-US relations but has now been made public by the National Archives under a Freedom of Information request.

By Tamilla Hasanova