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The UK government is being called upon to "take responsibility" and cover the £24.5m cost incurred during recent trips by Donald Trump and Vice-President Vance to the Scottish nation, according to a senior Scottish minister.

Significant Provisional Costs Revealed

Preliminary costs amounting to almost £24.5m for the pair of official trips have been made public by the Scottish government.

Ivan McKee labeled the Westminster's unwillingness to offer financial support as "absurd," arguing that both trips were clearly official, pointing out that the American leader held discussions with EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and UK prime minister Keir Starmer during his summer visit in Scotland.

Details of the Visits and Related Policing Costs

The former president visited his golf courses at Turnberry and Menie over a five-day trip in July, while US vice-president JD Vance spent approximately a long weekend in Ayrshire in August.

In a written communication to the Treasury’s chief secretary Chief Secretary Murray, Scotland’s finance secretary stated that the visits placed "significant operational and financial burdens on public services in Scotland, particularly the Scottish police force."

The Edinburgh administration calculates that the provisional cost for securing the president's trip alone was £21 million, which reflected maximum daily assignments of more than 4,000 officers, while costs for the VP's visit were approximately £3m.

Complex Policing Operation

This extensive security mission was the largest in Scotland since the death of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022, and included regional police, specialist units, special constables and officers from across the UK for specialist support.

Robison wrote: "After your choice not to offer financial support to Scotland for expenses accrued in connection with the visit of President Donald Trump to the nation in summer 2025 and the subsequent visit of Vice-President JD Vance, I am writing you to request that you reconsider this stance and provide complete repayment for the cost of the visits."

Westminster Reply and Previous Example

The UK government stated that the trips were personal and "not official UK government business." A spokesperson commented: "Holyrood must cover security expenses in Scotland as per agreed devolved funding arrangements."

While the Finance Secretary pointed to past instances where the UK government reimbursed the expense of the president's 2018 trip to the nation, it is believed that trip came after a official invitation from Westminster, in which case it covered security costs under its statement of funding policy.

"The UK government must take action and pay. I think it’s unreasonable, it was obviously a official trip … Especially when you have the PM Keir Starmer meeting with Donald Trump, holding joint briefings with them, engaging in global diplomacy with them, its really hard to believe to say this was just a personal vacation."