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The UK government is being urged to "take responsibility" and reimburse the £24.5 million cost incurred during recent trips by former President Trump and JD Vance to the Scottish nation, according to a senior Scottish minister.

Significant Provisional Costs Disclosed

Preliminary costs totalling almost £24.5 million for the two official trips have been published by the administration in Edinburgh.

Ivan McKee described the Westminster's refusal to offer financial support as "absurd," arguing that both visits were clearly official, pointing out that the US president held discussions with EU Commission president the EU's von der Leyen and UK prime minister Keir Starmer during his July stay in Scotland.

Particulars of the Trips and Associated Security Expenses

The former president visited his golf courses at Turnberry and Menie in Aberdeenshire over a week-long trip in July, while American VP JD Vance spent approximately a long weekend in Ayrshire in August.

In a written communication to the Treasury minister James Murray, Finance Secretary Shona Robison wrote that the visits placed "substantial strains and costs on Scottish public services, particularly the Scottish police force."

The Scottish government estimates that the estimated expense for policing the presidential visit by itself was £21m, which reflected maximum daily assignments of over 4,000 officers, while costs for the vice-president’s trip were approximately £3 million.

Large-Scale Security Mission

This extensive policing operation was the biggest in Scotland since the death of the late Queen in 2022, and included local officers, national divisions, special constables and officers from across the UK for expert assistance.

Robison stated: "After your choice not to provide funding to Scotland for costs accrued in relation to the visit of Donald Trump to Scotland 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 Reply and Past Precedent

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

While the Finance Secretary referenced past instances where the British administration covered the cost of Trump’s 2018 visit to Scotland, it is believed that trip followed a formal invitation from Westminster, in which case it covered security costs under its statement of funding policy.

"Westminster must take action and pay. I think it’s ridiculous, it was clearly a official trip … Particularly when you have the prime minister Sir Keir meeting with Donald Trump, having press conferences with him, conducting global diplomacy with him, its really stretching the bounds of credibility to say this was merely a private holiday trip."