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The British administration 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 Revealed

Provisional expenses amounting to almost £24.5 million for the two official trips have been made public by the Scottish government.

Ivan McKee described the Westminster's refusal to provide funding as "absurd," arguing that both visits were obviously work-related, noting that the US president held discussions with EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and UK prime minister Keir Starmer during his July visit in the northern nation.

Details of the Trips and Related Policing Costs

The former president visited his golf courses at Turnberry and Menie over a five-day period in July, while American VP Vance spent approximately four days in Ayrshire in late summer.

In a written communication to the Treasury minister James Murray, Finance Secretary Shona Robison stated that the trips placed "substantial operational and financial burdens on public services in Scotland, especially Police Scotland."

The Edinburgh administration calculates that the estimated expense for policing the presidential visit alone was £21 million, which involved maximum daily assignments 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 biggest in Scotland since the death of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022, and involved local officers, national divisions, special constables and officers from across the UK for expert assistance.

Robison stated: "Following your choice not to provide funding to the Scottish government for costs incurred in connection with the trip of Donald Trump to Scotland in summer 2025 and the subsequent trip of Vice-President JD Vance, I am contacting you to request that you review this stance and offer full reimbursement for the cost of the trips."

UK Government Response and Past Precedent

The British administration maintained that the trips were private and "not official UK government business." A representative commented: "The Scottish government are responsible for policing costs in the country as per established devolved funding arrangements."

While Robison referenced past instances where the UK government covered the expense of Trump’s 2018 visit to the nation, it is believed that visit followed a formal UK government invitation, in which case it covered security costs under its statement of funding policy.

"The UK government needs to step up and cover the cost. I think it’s unreasonable, it was obviously a work visit … Particularly when you have the prime minister Sir Keir spending time with Donald Trump, holding joint briefings with him, conducting international business with them, its really hard to believe to say this was just a private holiday trip."