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The UK government is being called upon to "take responsibility" and reimburse the £24.5 million expense incurred during the recent visits by former President Trump and JD Vance to Scotland, according to a top Holyrood official.

Significant Estimated Expenses Disclosed

Provisional costs amounting to almost £24.5m for the pair of working visits have been published by the Scottish government.

Ivan McKee described the UK government's unwillingness to offer financial support as "ridiculous," stating that both trips were clearly official, noting that the US president held meetings with EU Commission president the EU's von der Leyen and British PM Keir Starmer during his July stay in the northern nation.

Particulars of the Trips and Related Policing Costs

The former president visited his golf courses at Turnberry and Menie over a five-day period in the summer, while American VP JD Vance spent around a long weekend in the Ayrshire region in August.

In a written communication to the Treasury’s chief secretary James Murray, Finance Secretary Shona Robison wrote that the visits placed "significant operational and financial burdens on public services in Scotland, especially the Scottish police force."

The Edinburgh administration estimates that the estimated expense for policing the president's trip alone was £21 million, which involved maximum daily assignments of over 4,000 officers, while expenses for the vice-president’s trip were about £3m.

Large-Scale Security Mission

This complex security mission was the largest in the country since the passing of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022, and involved local officers, specialist units, volunteer officers and officers from across the UK for expert assistance.

Robison stated: "Following your decision not to provide funding to Scotland for expenses accrued in connection with the visit of President Donald Trump to the nation in summer 2025 and the following trip of Vice-President JD Vance, I am contacting you to request that you review this stance and provide complete repayment for the cost of the visits."

UK Government Response and Past Precedent

The British administration stated that the visits were private and "not part of official government duties." A representative added: "Holyrood must cover policing costs in Scotland as per established devolved funding arrangements."

While the Finance Secretary referenced previous precedent where the UK government reimbursed the cost of Trump’s 2018 visit to Scotland, it is believed that visit followed a official invitation from Westminster, in which instance it covered protection expenses under its funding guidelines.

"Westminster must take action and pay. I think it’s unreasonable, it was obviously a official trip … Particularly when you have the PM Sir Keir spending time with the president, having press conferences with him, engaging in international business with them, its really hard to believe to say this was just a personal vacation."