🔗 Share this article

The UK government is being called upon to "step up" and reimburse the £24.5 million expense incurred during recent visits by Donald Trump and Vice-President Vance to the Scottish nation, according to a top Scottish minister.

Substantial Estimated Expenses Revealed

Preliminary costs amounting to nearly £24.5m for the two official trips have been made public by the administration in Edinburgh.

Public Finance Minister McKee labeled the UK government's unwillingness to offer financial support as "absurd," arguing that both trips were clearly work-related, pointing out that the US president held meetings with EU Commission president the EU's von der Leyen and UK prime minister Keir Starmer during his July stay in Scotland.

Particulars of the Visits and Related Security Expenses

Donald Trump toured his golf courses at Turnberry and Menie in Aberdeenshire over a five-day period in the summer, while US vice-president Vance spent around a long weekend in Ayrshire in late summer.

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

The Scottish government estimates that the estimated expense for securing the presidential visit alone was £21m, which reflected maximum daily assignments of over 4,000 officers, while expenses for the vice-president’s trip were about £3 million.

Complex Policing Operation

This complex security mission was the biggest in Scotland since the passing of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022, and included regional police, national divisions, volunteer officers and officers from across the UK for expert assistance.

Robison wrote: "After your choice not to provide funding to Scotland for expenses accrued in relation to the visit of President Donald Trump to the nation in July 2025 and the subsequent visit of Vice-President JD Vance, I am contacting you to ask that you reconsider this stance and provide full reimbursement for the expense of the trips."

Westminster Reply and Past Precedent

The UK government stated that the trips were private and "not part of official government duties." A spokesperson added: "Holyrood are responsible for policing costs in Scotland as per agreed funding agreements for devolved matters."

While the Finance Secretary referenced previous precedent where the British administration reimbursed the cost of Trump’s 2018 visit to Scotland, it is understood that trip followed a formal UK government invitation, in which instance it included protection expenses under its funding guidelines.

"Westminster needs to step up and pay. I think it’s unreasonable, it was obviously a official trip … Particularly when you have the PM Keir Starmer meeting with Donald Trump, having press conferences with them, conducting global diplomacy with him, its really hard to believe to say this was just a private holiday trip."