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The UK government is being urged to "step up" and cover the £24.5m cost incurred during the recent visits by former President Trump and JD Vance to the Scottish nation, according to a top Scottish minister.

Substantial Provisional Costs Disclosed

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

Ivan McKee labeled the Westminster's refusal to offer financial support as "absurd," stating that both trips were obviously official, pointing out that the American leader held meetings with EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and UK prime minister Sir Keir Starmer during his July stay in Scotland.

Details of the Trips and Associated Policing Costs

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

In a formal letter to the Treasury minister Chief Secretary Murray, Scotland’s finance secretary stated that the visits placed "substantial strains and costs on Scottish public services, particularly Police Scotland."

The Edinburgh administration calculates that the provisional cost for policing the president's trip by itself was £21m, which involved maximum daily assignments of over four thousand police, while costs for the VP's visit were about £3m.

Complex Policing Operation

This extensive policing operation was the biggest in Scotland since the passing of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022, and involved regional police, national divisions, volunteer officers and wider UK colleagues for expert assistance.

The Finance Secretary wrote: "Following your choice not to offer financial support to Scotland for costs incurred in connection with the visit of President Donald Trump to Scotland in summer 2025 and the subsequent visit of VP JD Vance, I am writing you to ask that you review this decision and offer full reimbursement for the cost of the visits."

Westminster Response and Previous Example

The UK government maintained that the visits were personal and "not part of official government duties." A representative added: "The Scottish government must cover policing costs in Scotland as per agreed devolved funding arrangements."

While the Finance Secretary pointed to past instances where the British administration covered the expense of the president's 2018 trip to Scotland, it is believed that trip followed a official invitation from Westminster, in which case it included protection expenses under its funding guidelines.

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