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The UK government is being called upon to "take responsibility" and reimburse the £24.5 million cost incurred during the recent visits by Donald Trump and JD Vance to Scotland, according to a top Scottish minister.

Substantial Estimated Expenses Disclosed

Preliminary costs totalling nearly £24.5m for the pair of working visits have been published by the administration in Edinburgh.

Public Finance Minister McKee described the UK government's refusal to provide funding as "absurd," stating that both trips were obviously work-related, pointing out that the American leader held discussions with European Union chief the EU's von der Leyen and UK prime minister Keir Starmer during his July stay in Scotland.

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 July, while American VP Vance spent around a long weekend in Ayrshire in late summer.

In a formal letter to the Treasury’s chief secretary James Murray, Finance Secretary Shona Robison wrote that the trips placed "substantial operational and financial burdens on public services in Scotland, particularly the Scottish police force."

The Edinburgh administration estimates that the estimated expense for securing the presidential visit alone was £21 million, which reflected maximum daily assignments of over 4,000 officers, while costs for the VP's visit were approximately £3 million.

Complex Policing Operation

This complex policing operation was the largest in the country since the passing of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022, and involved regional police, specialist units, special constables and officers from across the UK for specialist support.

Robison stated: "After your choice not to provide funding to Scotland for costs incurred in relation to the trip of President Donald Trump to the nation in summer 2025 and the following visit of Vice-President JD Vance, I am contacting you to request that you review this decision and provide full reimbursement for the expense of the visits."

Westminster Response and Previous Example

The British administration maintained that the visits were private and "not official UK government business." A representative added: "Holyrood are responsible for policing costs in the country as per established funding agreements for devolved matters."

While the Finance Secretary referenced previous precedent where the UK government reimbursed the expense of Trump’s 2018 visit to the nation, it is believed that visit followed a official UK government invitation, in which instance 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 … Especially when you have the PM Sir Keir spending time with the president, having press conferences with them, engaging in global diplomacy with them, its really hard to believe to say this was just a personal vacation."