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The UK government is being urged to "take responsibility" and reimburse the £24.5m expense incurred during the recent visits by former President Trump and Vice-President Vance to the Scottish nation, according to a senior Holyrood official.

Significant Provisional Costs Revealed

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

Public Finance Minister McKee labeled the UK government's refusal to provide funding as "ridiculous," arguing that both visits were clearly work-related, pointing out that the US president held meetings with European Union chief the EU's von der Leyen and British PM Keir Starmer during his July visit in the northern nation.

Particulars of the Trips and Related Policing Costs

Donald Trump toured his golfing resorts at Turnberry in Ayrshire and Menie in Aberdeenshire over a week-long period in July, while American VP Vance spent approximately four days in the Ayrshire region in late summer.

In a written communication to the Treasury minister Chief Secretary Murray, Scotland’s finance secretary stated that the visits placed "substantial strains and costs on public services in Scotland, especially Police Scotland."

The Scottish government estimates that the provisional cost for securing the presidential visit alone was £21 million, which involved peak daily deployments of more than four thousand police, while costs for the vice-president’s trip were about £3m.

Complex Security Mission

This complex policing operation was the biggest in the country since the passing of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022, and included regional police, specialist units, volunteer officers and officers from across the UK for specialist support.

The Finance Secretary stated: "Following your choice not to offer financial support to the Scottish government for expenses incurred in relation to the trip of President Donald Trump to the nation in summer 2025 and the subsequent trip of Vice-President Vance, I am writing you to ask that you review this stance and offer complete repayment for the expense of the trips."

Westminster Response and Previous Example

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

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

"Westminster must take action and cover the cost. I think it’s ridiculous, it was obviously a work visit … Particularly when you have the PM Sir Keir meeting with the president, holding joint briefings with him, engaging in international business with them, its really hard to believe to say this was just a private holiday trip."