Newly released documents from the UK’s National Archives have confirmed that Sir Tony Blair, then serving as prime minister, met with financier Jeffrey Epstein in Downing Street on May 14, 2002. The revelation, reported by the BBC and other outlets, has reignited debate over the extent of Epstein’s connections to powerful figures on both sides of the Atlantic, as well as the judgment of those who facilitated such meetings.
The meeting, which lasted less than thirty minutes, was the result of persistent lobbying by Lord Peter Mandelson, a prominent Labour figure and longtime ally of Blair. According to a memo authored by senior civil servant Matthew Rycroft and dated the very day of the meeting, Epstein was described as “a financial adviser to the super-rich and a property developer,” with notable connections to former US President Bill Clinton, Mandelson himself, and the Duke of York. The memo, marked “restricted,” was circulated to Blair’s chief of staff Jonathan Powell and special adviser Geoffrey Norris, underscoring the sensitivity of the encounter.
The documents reveal that the meeting’s agenda centered on US and UK politics—a far cry from the criminal charges that would later envelop Epstein’s name. Blair’s spokesperson has emphasized the context, stating, “As far as he can remember, Mr Blair met with him for less than 30 minutes in Downing Street in 2002, and discussed US and UK politics. He never met or engaged with him subsequently. This was, of course, long before his crimes were known of and his subsequent conviction.” The spokesperson’s insistence on the timing reflects the broader unease with which many now view any association with Epstein, who pleaded guilty to soliciting prostitution from a minor in 2008 and died in prison in 2019 while awaiting trial on sex trafficking charges.
The path to the meeting was paved by Mandelson, who, despite having resigned from the cabinet twice and then serving as a backbench Labour MP, remained a force within the party. Emails reviewed by the BBC show Mandelson pressing Blair’s chief of staff, Jonathan Powell, to arrange the introduction, describing Epstein as “a friend of mine” and noting that Clinton had hoped to introduce Epstein to Blair personally. In a May 7, 2002 email, Mandelson wrote, “Do you remember when Clinton saw TB [Tony Blair] he said he wanted to introduce his travelling friend, Jeffrey Epstein, to TB? This was frustrated – TB said at the time – in the office for reasons (he says) he was unclear about. I think TB would be interested in meeting Jeffrey, who is also a friend of mine, because Jeffrey is an active scientific catalyst/entrepreneur as well as someone who has his finger on the pulse of many worldwide markets and currencies. He is young and vibrant. He is safe (whatever that means) and Clinton is now doing a lot of travelling with him.”
Mandelson’s lobbying didn’t stop there. He continued, “I mentioned to TB that Jeffrey is in London next week and he said he would like to meet him. I have ascertained from Jeffrey that he is flexible – he could be here any time from Tuesday onwards to fit round the diary – but would obviously need to know reasonably quickly so as to re-schedule accordingly. Can you let me know?” These details, previously shielded from public view over concerns about their potential impact on UK-US relations, have now come to light thanks to a successful Freedom of Information request.
At the time of the meeting, Epstein was widely regarded in elite circles as a well-connected financier and philanthropist, rather than the notorious criminal he would later become. The Rycroft briefing highlighted Epstein’s proximity to global power players, noting, “He is a friend of Bill Clinton and Peter Mandelson. The background on Epstein is that he is very rich and close to the Duke of York.” The memo also suggested that a conversation with Epstein about “science and international economic and monetary trends” could prove valuable.
Nevertheless, the decision to proceed with the meeting was not without internal skepticism. Handwritten notes on Mandelson’s email—some partially illegible—appear to question whether Blair should go ahead, given the limited information available about Epstein. Despite these reservations, the meeting took place as scheduled, with Blair’s team later insisting that no further contact occurred.
The release of these documents comes at a time of renewed scrutiny for Mandelson. In September 2025, he was sacked from his role as the UK’s ambassador to the United States after emails emerged showing he had urged Epstein to “fight for early release” shortly before the financier was sentenced to 18 months in prison. Mandelson reportedly told Epstein, “I think the world of you,” the day before Epstein began his sentence for soliciting prostitution from a minor. These revelations have led Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer to rule out any future government role for Mandelson, stating, “Not in a government role in terms of future appointments. I think Peter is also on a leave of absence from the Lords in any event, so the issue of the whip doesn’t arise.”
For his part, Jonathan Powell, Blair’s former chief of staff and now national security adviser under Starmer, has seen his own role come under the microscope, though a government spokesperson was quick to clarify, “Jonathan Powell forwarded on the request, he had no further role.”
The release of these documents was previously blocked by government officials, who feared they might strain the special relationship between the UK and the US. But with the National Archives now making them public, the episode serves as a reminder of the tangled web of personal and political relationships that can exist at the highest levels of government—and how the reputations of those involved can be upended by revelations years after the fact.
Bill Clinton, whose name appears repeatedly in the correspondence, has acknowledged knowing Epstein but has consistently stated he had no knowledge of Epstein’s criminal activities. The late financier’s connections to other high-profile figures, including Prince Andrew, have been the subject of intense media scrutiny and legal proceedings, further fueling public fascination—and revulsion—at the scale of Epstein’s influence.
The newly disclosed details offer a rare, candid glimpse into the mechanics of political introductions at the top of government, where personal recommendations and informal lobbying can open doors that would otherwise remain firmly closed. Yet the episode also illustrates the risks inherent in such access, particularly when the full measure of a person’s character or activities is not yet known.
As the dust settles, the Blair-Epstein meeting stands as a case study in the perils of proximity to power. The documents now in the public domain may not reveal any wrongdoing by Blair or his immediate circle, but they do show how easily the worlds of politics, finance, and personal ambition can intersect—sometimes with consequences that only become clear years later.
