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The UK government is being called upon to "take responsibility" and cover the £24.5m cost incurred during recent trips by former President Trump and Vice-President Vance to the Scottish nation, according to a senior Scottish minister.

Substantial Estimated Expenses Revealed

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

Public Finance Minister McKee described the UK government's refusal to provide funding as "absurd," stating that both trips were obviously official, noting that the US president held meetings with EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and UK prime minister Keir Starmer during his summer visit in Scotland.

Particulars of the Trips and Related Policing Costs

Donald Trump visited his golfing resorts at Turnberry and Menie over a five-day trip in July, while American VP JD Vance spent around four days in the Ayrshire region in August.

In a formal letter to the Treasury minister Chief Secretary Murray, Scotland’s finance secretary stated that the trips placed "significant strains and costs on public services in Scotland, particularly the Scottish police force."

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

Large-Scale Security Mission

This complex policing operation was the biggest in Scotland since the death of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022, and involved local officers, specialist units, special constables and wider UK colleagues for expert assistance.

Robison stated: "After your choice not to offer financial support to Scotland for expenses accrued in relation to the visit of President Donald Trump to the nation in July 2025 and the subsequent trip of Vice-President JD Vance, I am writing you to request that you reconsider this stance and offer complete repayment for the cost of the trips."

Westminster Reply and Past Precedent

The British administration maintained that the visits were private and "not official UK government business." A representative added: "The Scottish government are responsible for policing costs in the country as per established funding agreements for devolved matters."

While the Finance Secretary referenced past instances where the UK government covered the expense of the president's 2018 trip to Scotland, it is believed that trip came after a formal invitation from Westminster, in which case it covered protection expenses under its statement of funding policy.

"Westminster needs to step up and pay. I think it’s unreasonable, it was clearly a official trip … Particularly when you have the PM Sir Keir meeting with Donald Trump, having press conferences with him, engaging in international business with them, its really stretching the bounds of credibility to say this was just a private holiday trip."