Tony Blair admits he met Jeffrey Epstein at Number 10 but says it was ‘before his crimes were known of. Photo / Max Mumby / Indigo / Getty Images
Tony Blair admits he met Jeffrey Epstein at Number 10 but says it was ‘before his crimes were known of. Photo / Max Mumby / Indigo / Getty Images
Sir Tony Blair met Jeffrey Epstein in Downing Street while he was still Prime Minister.
Last month a secret memo was released revealing that Lord Peter Mandelson urged Blair to meet the disgraced financier. It was unclear then if the meeting ever went ahead.
However, it has now emerged thatthe meeting did take place while Blair was in Number 10, according to a report from the BBC.
The memo, written by senior civil servant Matthew Rycroft, dated May 14, 2002, briefed Blair on “super-rich” Epstein.
Their meeting took place at 5pm that day, six years before Epstein pleaded guilty to soliciting prostitution from a minor in 2008.
A spokesperson for Blairtold the Telegraph: “As far as he can remember, 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.”
He added: “This was, of course, long before his crimes were known of and his subsequent conviction.”
Epstein ‘is safe’, Mandelson said
Mandelson, who was sacked as US ambassador after a Telegraph investigation into his links with Epstein, pushed for the meeting to take place.
He was a backbench MP at the time, having twice resigned from Blair’s Cabinet. Emails show Mandelson telling Jonathan Powell, Blair’s chief of staff, that Epstein was “safe” and “a friend of mine”.
Peter Mandelson was sacked as US ambassador by Sir Keir Starmer over his links to Epstein. Photo / Getty Images
On May 7, 2002, he wrote to Powell: “I think TB [Tony Blair] 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.”
The email 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?”
Three handwritten notes are visible on the printout of the email.
One of the notes reads: “Do you want to do this... Because you wanted to see Clinton by yourself... I know very little more about him”.
The memo was scheduled to be released this year by the National Archives, in compliance with rules that state government papers should be revealed after 20 years.
According to a memo, Bill Clinton was keen on Tony Blair meeting Epstein. Photo / Getty Images
However, it had previously been blocked by the Government because of concerns with how it may embarrass Britain and affect relations between the UK and US.
The document has now been released by the National Archives after a Freedom of Information request.
The National Archive also released a schedule titled “Trade and Industry Meetings with Industry” which includes a memo briefing Blair about the meeting.
The briefing written by Rycroft was marked R, for restricted.
In it, he told Blair: “Jeffrey Epstein is seeing you at 5pm today.
“He is a financial adviser to the super-rich and a property developer. 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.”
He added: “Peter says that Epstein now travels with Clinton and Clinton wants you to meet him.
