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

Significant Provisional Costs Revealed

Provisional costs amounting to almost £24.5m for the pair of official trips have been made public by the administration in Edinburgh.

Ivan McKee described the UK government's refusal to provide funding as "absurd," arguing that both trips were obviously work-related, pointing out that the US president held discussions with European Union chief Ursula von der Leyen and UK prime minister Sir Keir Starmer during his summer stay in Scotland.

Particulars of the Visits and Associated Security Expenses

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

In a written communication to the Treasury’s chief secretary James Murray, Scotland’s finance secretary wrote that the visits placed "substantial strains and costs on Scottish public services, especially the Scottish police force."

The Edinburgh administration calculates that the estimated expense for securing the presidential visit alone was £21 million, which reflected maximum daily assignments of over four thousand police, while costs for the VP's visit were approximately £3m.

Large-Scale Security Mission

This extensive policing operation was the biggest in Scotland 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.

Robison wrote: "Following your choice not to provide funding to Scotland for costs incurred in connection with the trip of President Donald Trump to the nation in July 2025 and the subsequent trip of VP JD Vance, I am writing you to request that you review this stance and provide full reimbursement for the expense of the trips."

UK Government Response and Past Precedent

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

While Robison referenced past instances where the British administration covered the cost of the president's 2018 trip to the nation, it is believed that trip followed a official invitation from Westminster, in which instance it covered protection expenses under its statement of funding policy.

"The UK government needs to step up and cover the cost. I think it’s ridiculous, it was clearly a work visit … Particularly when you have the PM Keir Starmer spending time with Donald Trump, having press conferences with them, conducting global diplomacy with him, its really stretching the bounds of credibility to say this was merely a personal vacation."