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The UK government is being urged to "take responsibility" and cover the £24.5 million expense incurred during recent trips by Donald Trump and JD Vance to Scotland, according to a top Holyrood official.

Substantial Estimated Expenses Disclosed

Preliminary costs totalling almost £24.5 million for the two working visits have been published by the Scottish government.

Ivan McKee described the UK government's unwillingness to offer financial support as "absurd," stating that both trips were clearly official, pointing out that the American leader held meetings with European Union chief Ursula von der Leyen and UK prime minister Sir Keir Starmer during his July stay in Scotland.

Particulars of the Visits and Associated Security Expenses

The former president toured his golfing resorts at Turnberry and Menie over a week-long period in July, while US vice-president JD Vance spent around a long weekend in Ayrshire in late summer.

In a formal letter to the Treasury’s chief secretary Chief Secretary Murray, Scotland’s finance secretary wrote that the visits placed "substantial operational and financial burdens on public services in Scotland, particularly Police Scotland."

The Scottish government calculates that the provisional cost for securing the president's trip alone was £21 million, which reflected maximum daily assignments of more than 4,000 officers, while expenses for the vice-president’s trip were approximately £3 million.

Large-Scale Policing Operation

This complex security mission was the biggest in Scotland since the passing of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022, and included local officers, specialist units, volunteer officers and wider UK colleagues for expert assistance.

Robison wrote: "After your decision not to offer financial support to the Scottish government for expenses incurred in connection with the trip of Donald Trump to the nation in summer 2025 and the following trip of VP JD Vance, I am contacting you to request that you reconsider this stance and provide full reimbursement for the cost of the trips."

Westminster Response and Past Precedent

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

While the Finance Secretary pointed to past instances where the British administration reimbursed the expense of Trump’s 2018 visit to Scotland, it is believed that trip came after a formal invitation from Westminster, in which instance it covered protection expenses under its statement of funding policy.

"The UK government must take action and cover the cost. I think it’s ridiculous, it was obviously a official trip … Especially when you have the PM Keir Starmer meeting with the president, holding joint briefings with him, engaging in international business with him, its really stretching the bounds of credibility to say this was just a private holiday trip."