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The UK government is being urged to "take responsibility" and reimburse the £24.5 million expense incurred during the recent trips by Donald Trump and JD Vance to the Scottish nation, according to a senior Holyrood official.

Significant Provisional Costs Revealed

Provisional expenses totalling almost £24.5 million for the two official trips have been published by the Scottish government.

Public Finance Minister McKee labeled the UK government's unwillingness to offer financial support as "absurd," arguing that both trips were obviously official, noting that the American leader held meetings with EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and British PM Keir Starmer during his July stay in the northern nation.

Particulars of the Trips and Related Security Expenses

Donald Trump visited his golfing resorts at Turnberry and Menie over a week-long period in the summer, while American VP JD Vance spent around a long weekend in the Ayrshire region in August.

In a formal letter to the Treasury minister James Murray, Scotland’s finance secretary stated that the visits placed "substantial strains and costs on Scottish public services, especially the Scottish police force."

The Edinburgh administration calculates that the provisional cost for securing the presidential visit by itself was £21 million, which reflected maximum daily assignments of more than four thousand police, while costs for the VP's visit were about £3 million.

Large-Scale Policing Operation

This extensive security mission was the largest in the country since the passing of the late Queen in 2022, and included local officers, national divisions, special constables and officers from across the UK for expert assistance.

Robison wrote: "After your choice not to provide funding to the Scottish government for costs accrued in connection with the trip of Donald Trump to Scotland in July 2025 and the following visit of Vice-President JD Vance, I am contacting you to ask that you review this stance and offer full reimbursement for the expense of the visits."

UK Government Response and Past Precedent

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

While the Finance Secretary referenced previous precedent where the UK government covered the cost of the president's 2018 trip to Scotland, it is understood that trip followed a formal invitation from Westminster, in which case it covered protection expenses under its statement of funding policy.

"The UK government needs to step up and cover the cost. I think it’s unreasonable, it was clearly a work visit … Particularly when you have the prime minister Sir Keir meeting with Donald Trump, having press conferences with him, engaging in international business with him, its really stretching the bounds of credibility to say this was just a personal vacation."