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

Substantial Provisional Costs Disclosed

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

Ivan McKee labeled the UK government's refusal to provide funding as "ridiculous," arguing that both trips were clearly work-related, pointing out that the American leader held discussions with EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and UK prime minister Sir Keir Starmer during his summer visit in the northern nation.

Details of the Trips and Associated Security Expenses

The former president toured his golf courses at Turnberry in Ayrshire and Menie over a week-long period in the summer, while US vice-president Vance spent approximately a long weekend in Ayrshire in late summer.

In a written communication to the Treasury’s chief secretary Chief Secretary Murray, Scotland’s finance secretary stated that the trips placed "substantial operational and financial burdens on Scottish public services, particularly the Scottish police force."

The Scottish government estimates that the provisional cost for policing the presidential visit alone was £21 million, which involved peak daily deployments of over four thousand police, while costs for the vice-president’s trip were about £3m.

Large-Scale Policing Operation

This extensive security mission was the largest in the country since the passing of the late Queen in 2022, and included regional police, national divisions, volunteer officers and officers from across the UK for expert assistance.

The Finance Secretary stated: "Following your choice not to provide funding to the Scottish government for expenses accrued in relation to the visit of President Donald Trump to the nation in summer 2025 and the subsequent visit of Vice-President Vance, I am writing you to ask that you review this decision and provide full reimbursement for the expense of the visits."

Westminster Response and Previous Example

The UK government stated that the visits were private and "not part of official government duties." A spokesperson commented: "The Scottish government are responsible for security expenses in Scotland as per established devolved funding arrangements."

While Robison referenced past instances where the UK government covered the expense of Trump’s 2018 visit to the nation, it is believed that visit followed a formal invitation from Westminster, in which case it covered protection expenses under its statement of funding policy.

"Westminster must take action and pay. I think it’s ridiculous, it was clearly a work visit … Particularly when you have the prime minister Keir Starmer meeting with the president, holding joint briefings with them, conducting global diplomacy with him, its really hard to believe to say this was just a personal vacation."