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The British administration is being called upon to "step up" and reimburse the £24.5 million expense incurred during recent visits by former President Trump and JD Vance to Scotland, according to a senior Scottish minister.

Significant Provisional Costs Disclosed

Preliminary costs totalling almost £24.5m for the two official trips have been published by the Scottish government.

Public Finance Minister McKee labeled the Westminster's unwillingness to provide funding as "absurd," arguing that both trips were clearly work-related, pointing out that the American leader held discussions with European Union chief the EU's von der Leyen and UK prime minister Sir Keir Starmer during his July stay in the northern nation.

Details of the Trips and Associated Policing Costs

The former president toured his golf courses at Turnberry and Menie in Aberdeenshire over a week-long trip in the summer, while US vice-president JD Vance spent approximately four days in the Ayrshire region in late summer.

In a written communication to the Treasury’s chief secretary James Murray, Scotland’s finance secretary stated that the trips placed "significant strains and costs on Scottish public services, especially Police Scotland."

The Edinburgh administration estimates that the estimated expense for policing the presidential visit by itself was £21m, which involved peak daily deployments of over 4,000 officers, while expenses for the vice-president’s trip were approximately £3m.

Large-Scale Security Mission

This extensive security mission was the largest in Scotland since the death of the late Queen in 2022, and involved regional police, national divisions, volunteer officers and wider UK colleagues for specialist support.

Robison wrote: "Following your decision not to offer financial support to the Scottish government for expenses incurred in relation to the trip of President Donald Trump to the nation in summer 2025 and the subsequent visit of VP JD Vance, I am writing you to ask that you reconsider this stance and offer complete repayment for the cost of the visits."

Westminster Reply and Past Precedent

The British administration maintained that the trips were private and "not part of official government duties." A representative commented: "Holyrood are responsible for policing costs in the country as per established funding agreements for devolved matters."

While the Finance Secretary referenced past instances where the British administration reimbursed the cost of the president's 2018 trip to Scotland, it is understood that trip came after a formal UK government invitation, in which case it included protection expenses under its statement of funding policy.

"The UK government must take action and pay. I think it’s ridiculous, it was obviously a work visit … Particularly when you have the PM Sir Keir spending time with the president, holding joint briefings with them, conducting international business with them, its really stretching the bounds of credibility to say this was merely a personal vacation."