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The UK government is being called upon to "step up" and reimburse the £24.5m expense incurred during the recent trips by Donald Trump and JD Vance to Scotland, according to a senior Scottish minister.

Substantial Estimated Expenses Revealed

Provisional costs amounting to almost £24.5 million for the two working visits have been made public by the Scottish government.

Ivan McKee described the Westminster's unwillingness to provide funding as "ridiculous," arguing that both trips were obviously official, noting that the US president held discussions with European Union chief the EU's von der Leyen and UK prime minister Keir Starmer during his summer visit in Scotland.

Details of the Visits and Related Policing Costs

Donald Trump visited his golf courses at Turnberry and Menie over a five-day period in July, while American VP JD Vance spent approximately a long weekend in Ayrshire in late summer.

In a formal letter to the Treasury’s chief secretary Chief Secretary Murray, Finance Secretary Shona Robison wrote that the trips placed "significant strains and costs on public services in Scotland, especially the Scottish police force."

The Scottish government estimates that the provisional cost for securing the presidential visit by itself was £21m, which reflected maximum daily assignments of over four thousand police, while costs for the vice-president’s trip were approximately £3m.

Large-Scale Policing Operation

This complex security mission was the biggest in the country since the death of the late Queen in 2022, and included regional police, specialist units, volunteer officers and wider UK colleagues for specialist support.

The Finance Secretary wrote: "Following your choice not to offer financial support to Scotland for expenses incurred in connection with the visit of Donald Trump to the nation in summer 2025 and the subsequent trip of VP Vance, I am writing you to request that you review this decision and offer complete repayment for the cost of the visits."

UK Government Response and Past Precedent

The British administration stated that the visits were private and "not official UK government business." A spokesperson commented: "The Scottish government must cover security expenses in the country as per agreed funding agreements for devolved matters."

While the Finance Secretary referenced past instances where the UK government reimbursed the expense of Trump’s 2018 visit to the nation, it is understood that trip followed a formal invitation from Westminster, in which instance it included protection expenses under its statement of funding policy.

"Westminster must take action and pay. I think it’s unreasonable, it was obviously a official trip … Especially when you have the PM Sir Keir meeting with Donald Trump, holding joint briefings with him, engaging in international business with him, its really hard to believe to say this was merely a private holiday trip."