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The British administration is being urged to "take responsibility" and cover the £24.5m cost incurred during the recent trips by Donald Trump and JD Vance to the Scottish nation, according to a senior Holyrood official.

Substantial Provisional Costs Revealed

Provisional costs amounting to nearly £24.5 million for the two official trips have been made public by the Scottish government.

Ivan McKee described the Westminster's refusal to offer financial support as "ridiculous," stating that both trips were clearly work-related, pointing out that the American leader held discussions with EU Commission president the EU's von der Leyen and UK prime minister Sir Keir Starmer during his July stay in Scotland.

Particulars of the Trips and Associated Policing Costs

The former president visited his golfing resorts at Turnberry and Menie over a five-day trip in July, while American VP JD Vance spent approximately a long weekend in the Ayrshire region in August.

In a written communication to the Treasury minister Chief Secretary Murray, Finance Secretary Shona Robison stated that the trips placed "significant operational and financial burdens on public services in Scotland, particularly the Scottish police force."

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

Large-Scale Policing Operation

This complex policing operation was the largest in Scotland 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 wrote: "Following your choice not to offer financial support to the Scottish government for costs incurred in relation to the visit of President Donald Trump to the nation in summer 2025 and the following visit of VP JD Vance, I am writing you to request that you reconsider this decision and provide full reimbursement for the expense of the trips."

UK Government Response and Previous Example

The British administration maintained that the visits were personal and "not part of official government duties." A representative added: "Holyrood must cover policing costs in Scotland as per agreed funding agreements for devolved matters."

While Robison referenced past instances where the British administration covered the cost of Trump’s 2018 visit to Scotland, it is believed that trip followed a official UK government invitation, in which case it covered protection expenses under its funding guidelines.

"Westminster must take action and cover the cost. I think it’s unreasonable, it was clearly a work visit … Particularly when you have the prime minister Keir Starmer meeting with the president, having press conferences with them, engaging in global diplomacy with him, its really hard to believe to say this was just a personal vacation."