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The British administration is being called upon to "step up" and reimburse the £24.5m cost incurred during recent visits by Donald Trump and JD Vance to the Scottish nation, according to a top Holyrood official.

Significant Provisional Costs Disclosed

Preliminary expenses totalling nearly £24.5 million for the two official trips have been published by the Scottish government.

Ivan McKee described the Westminster's unwillingness to offer financial support as "absurd," arguing that both visits were obviously work-related, pointing out that the American leader held meetings with EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and UK prime minister Keir Starmer during his summer stay in the northern nation.

Particulars of the Trips and Related Security Expenses

Donald Trump toured his golf courses at Turnberry in Ayrshire and Menie in Aberdeenshire over a five-day trip in July, while American VP Vance spent approximately four days in the Ayrshire region in August.

In a written communication to the Treasury’s chief secretary Chief Secretary Murray, Finance Secretary Shona Robison wrote that the visits placed "substantial strains and costs on public services in Scotland, especially the Scottish police force."

The Scottish government estimates that the provisional cost for policing the president's trip alone was £21m, which involved maximum daily assignments of over 4,000 officers, while expenses for the vice-president’s trip were approximately £3 million.

Complex Policing Operation

This complex security mission was the largest in Scotland since the death of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022, and involved regional police, specialist units, special constables and officers from across the UK for expert assistance.

Robison stated: "Following your choice not to provide funding to Scotland for expenses accrued in relation to the visit of Donald Trump to Scotland in summer 2025 and the subsequent visit of VP JD Vance, I am writing you to ask that you reconsider this decision and provide complete repayment for the expense of the visits."

Westminster Reply and Past Precedent

The British administration stated that the visits were private and "not part of official government duties." A spokesperson added: "The Scottish government must cover security expenses in Scotland as per agreed devolved funding arrangements."

While Robison referenced previous precedent where the UK government reimbursed the cost of Trump’s 2018 visit to the nation, it is understood that trip followed a official UK government invitation, in which case it included protection expenses under its statement of funding policy.

"Westminster needs to step up and cover the cost. I think it’s unreasonable, it was obviously a work visit … Particularly when you have the PM Sir Keir spending time with Donald Trump, having press conferences with him, engaging in international business with him, its really stretching the bounds of credibility to say this was just a personal vacation."