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The British administration is being urged to "step up" and reimburse the £24.5m cost incurred during recent visits by former President Trump and JD Vance to Scotland, according to a top Holyrood official.

Significant Provisional Costs Disclosed

Provisional expenses totalling nearly £24.5 million for the pair of working visits have been made public by the Scottish government.

Public Finance Minister McKee labeled the UK government's unwillingness to offer financial support as "absurd," arguing that both visits were obviously official, noting that the US president held meetings with European Union chief Ursula von der Leyen and British PM Sir Keir Starmer during his July stay in Scotland.

Particulars of the Visits and Associated Policing Costs

Donald Trump toured his golfing resorts at Turnberry in Ayrshire and Menie in Aberdeenshire over a five-day period in the summer, while American VP Vance spent approximately four days in Ayrshire in late summer.

In a written communication to the Treasury minister Chief Secretary Murray, Scotland’s finance secretary wrote that the trips placed "substantial operational and financial burdens on public services in Scotland, particularly the Scottish police force."

The Scottish government estimates that the estimated expense for securing the presidential visit alone was £21m, which involved peak daily deployments of more than four thousand police, while expenses for the VP's visit were about £3m.

Complex Security Mission

This extensive security mission was the largest in the country since the death of the late Queen in 2022, and involved regional police, specialist units, volunteer officers and wider UK colleagues for expert assistance.

The Finance Secretary wrote: "Following your choice not to offer financial support to the Scottish government for costs incurred in connection with the trip of Donald Trump to the nation in July 2025 and the following visit of Vice-President JD Vance, I am contacting you to ask that you review this stance and offer complete repayment for the cost of the trips."

Westminster Response and Previous Example

The British administration maintained that the visits were personal and "not part of official government duties." A representative added: "The Scottish government must cover policing costs in the country as per established devolved funding arrangements."

While Robison referenced previous precedent where the UK government covered the expense of Trump’s 2018 visit to the nation, it is believed that visit came after a official invitation from Westminster, in which case it covered protection expenses under its funding guidelines.

"Westminster needs to step up and pay. I think it’s ridiculous, it was obviously a work visit … Especially when you have the PM Sir Keir meeting with Donald Trump, having press conferences with him, engaging in global diplomacy with him, its really stretching the bounds of credibility to say this was merely a private holiday trip."