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The British administration is being urged to "step up" and reimburse the £24.5 million expense incurred during the recent trips by former President Trump and Vice-President Vance to Scotland, according to a senior Scottish minister.

Significant Provisional Costs Disclosed

Provisional costs amounting to nearly £24.5m for the pair of working visits have been published by the Scottish government.

Public Finance Minister McKee described the Westminster's unwillingness to offer financial support as "absurd," stating that both visits were obviously work-related, pointing out that the American leader held meetings with EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and British PM Keir Starmer during his summer visit in the northern nation.

Details of the Visits and Associated Security Expenses

Donald Trump toured his golfing resorts at Turnberry in Ayrshire and Menie over a week-long trip in July, while American VP Vance spent approximately four days in Ayrshire in August.

In a formal letter to the Treasury minister James Murray, Finance Secretary Shona Robison wrote that the visits placed "substantial strains and costs on Scottish public services, particularly Police Scotland."

The Scottish government estimates that the provisional cost for securing the presidential visit by itself was £21 million, which involved peak daily deployments 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 included regional police, specialist units, special constables and officers from across the UK for expert assistance.

The Finance Secretary stated: "Following your decision not to offer financial support to the Scottish government for expenses accrued in relation to the trip of Donald Trump to the nation in July 2025 and the following visit of VP 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 UK government maintained that the visits were personal and "not official UK government business." A representative commented: "The Scottish government are responsible for security expenses in the country as per agreed funding agreements for devolved matters."

While Robison referenced past instances where the UK government reimbursed the expense of Trump’s 2018 visit to the nation, it is understood that visit came after a official UK government invitation, 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 clearly a work visit … Especially when you have the prime minister Sir Keir meeting with Donald Trump, holding joint briefings with them, engaging in international business with them, its really stretching the bounds of credibility to say this was just a private holiday trip."