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The UK government is being urged to "take responsibility" and cover the £24.5 million expense incurred during the recent visits by former President Trump and JD Vance to the Scottish nation, according to a top Scottish minister.

Significant Estimated Expenses Disclosed

Provisional expenses totalling nearly £24.5m for the pair of official trips have been published by the Scottish government.

Public Finance Minister McKee described the Westminster's unwillingness to offer financial support as "ridiculous," arguing that both trips were clearly work-related, noting that the US president held discussions with EU Commission president the EU's von der Leyen and British PM Keir Starmer during his July visit in the northern nation.

Particulars of the Visits and Related Policing Costs

The former president toured his golf courses at Turnberry and Menie in Aberdeenshire over a five-day period in the summer, while American VP JD Vance spent around four days in Ayrshire in August.

In a formal letter to the Treasury’s chief secretary 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 by itself was £21 million, which reflected peak daily deployments of more than four thousand police, while expenses for the VP's visit were approximately £3 million.

Complex 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, specialist units, volunteer officers and wider UK colleagues for expert assistance.

Robison wrote: "After your choice not to provide funding to Scotland for expenses accrued in connection with the trip of President Donald Trump to the nation in July 2025 and the subsequent visit of Vice-President JD Vance, I am contacting you to request that you reconsider this stance and provide full reimbursement for the cost of the trips."

UK Government Reply and Previous Example

The British administration maintained that the trips were personal and "not part of official government duties." A spokesperson commented: "Holyrood must cover policing costs in the country as per established funding agreements for devolved matters."

While Robison pointed to past instances where the UK government covered the expense of the president's 2018 trip to the nation, it is believed that visit 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 obviously a official trip … Particularly 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."