🔗 Share this article

The UK government is being urged to "take responsibility" and cover the £24.5m expense incurred during the recent visits by former President Trump and Vice-President Vance to the Scottish nation, according to a top Holyrood official.

Significant Provisional Costs Disclosed

Preliminary costs totalling nearly £24.5m for the two working visits have been made public by the administration in Edinburgh.

Ivan McKee described the Westminster's refusal to provide funding as "absurd," stating that both visits were obviously official, noting that the American leader held discussions with European Union chief Ursula von der Leyen and UK prime minister Sir Keir Starmer during his July visit in the northern nation.

Details of the Trips and Associated Policing Costs

Donald Trump toured his golfing resorts at Turnberry in Ayrshire and Menie over a week-long trip in the summer, while US vice-president JD Vance spent approximately a long weekend in Ayrshire in August.

In a written communication to the Treasury minister Chief Secretary Murray, Finance Secretary Shona Robison stated that the visits placed "substantial strains and costs on public services in Scotland, particularly the Scottish police force."

The Scottish government estimates that the provisional cost for policing the president's trip by itself was £21 million, which reflected maximum daily assignments of over 4,000 officers, while costs for the VP's visit were approximately £3m.

Complex Policing Operation

This complex policing operation was the largest in the country since the passing of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022, and included local officers, specialist units, special constables and wider UK colleagues for expert assistance.

Robison wrote: "After your decision not to offer financial support to Scotland for costs accrued in relation to the visit of President Donald Trump to the nation in July 2025 and the following trip of VP JD Vance, I am writing you to request that you review this decision and offer complete repayment for the cost of the visits."

Westminster Reply and Previous Example

The UK government stated that the visits were private and "not part of official government duties." A spokesperson commented: "Holyrood are responsible for security expenses in Scotland as per agreed devolved funding arrangements."

While the Finance Secretary pointed to previous precedent where the UK government reimbursed the expense of Trump’s 2018 visit to the nation, it is believed that visit came after a official UK government invitation, in which case it included protection expenses under its funding guidelines.

"Westminster must take action and pay. I think it’s ridiculous, it was obviously a official trip … Particularly when you have the prime minister Keir Starmer spending time with the president, having press conferences with them, conducting international business with them, its really stretching the bounds of credibility to say this was just a personal vacation."