🔗 Share this article

The UK government is being urged to "step up" and reimburse the £24.5 million cost incurred during recent visits by former President Trump and Vice-President Vance to the Scottish nation, according to a senior Scottish minister.

Significant Provisional Costs Disclosed

Preliminary expenses amounting to nearly £24.5 million for the pair of official trips have been published by the administration in Edinburgh.

Public Finance Minister McKee labeled the Westminster's refusal to offer financial support as "absurd," stating that both visits were clearly official, noting that the American leader held discussions with European Union chief the EU's von der Leyen and British PM Keir Starmer during his summer stay in Scotland.

Particulars of the Trips and Related Policing Costs

The former president toured his golfing resorts at Turnberry in Ayrshire and Menie in Aberdeenshire over a five-day trip in the summer, while American VP JD Vance spent around four days in Ayrshire in August.

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

The Scottish government estimates that the provisional cost for policing the president's trip by itself was £21m, which reflected peak daily deployments of more than 4,000 officers, while costs for the vice-president’s trip were approximately £3m.

Large-Scale Security Mission

This extensive policing operation was the largest in the country since the death of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022, and involved local officers, specialist units, special constables and wider UK colleagues for specialist support.

The Finance Secretary stated: "Following your choice not to offer financial support to Scotland for expenses incurred in connection with the visit of Donald Trump to the nation in July 2025 and the following trip of VP Vance, I am contacting you to request that you review this stance and offer full reimbursement for the cost of the visits."

Westminster Reply and Previous Example

The UK government stated that the trips were personal and "not official UK government business." A representative added: "Holyrood must cover security expenses in Scotland as per established funding agreements for devolved matters."

While Robison pointed to previous precedent where the British administration reimbursed the expense of Trump’s 2018 visit to Scotland, it is understood that visit came after a formal UK government invitation, in which instance it covered security costs under its statement of funding policy.

"Westminster must take action and pay. I think it’s ridiculous, it was obviously a work visit … Especially when you have the prime minister Sir Keir meeting with the president, holding joint briefings with him, engaging in international business with him, its really hard to believe to say this was just a personal vacation."