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The British administration is being urged to "take responsibility" and reimburse the £24.5 million cost incurred during the recent trips by former President Trump and JD Vance to Scotland, according to a top Scottish minister.

Substantial Provisional Costs Revealed

Provisional costs amounting to almost £24.5m for the two working visits have been made public by the Scottish government.

Ivan McKee described the Westminster's unwillingness to provide funding as "absurd," arguing that both visits were obviously work-related, noting that the US president held discussions with European Union chief Ursula von der Leyen and British PM Sir Keir Starmer during his summer stay in the northern nation.

Details of the Trips and Related Security Expenses

The former president visited his golf courses at Turnberry and Menie over a five-day period in the summer, while American VP JD Vance spent approximately four days in the Ayrshire region in August.

In a written communication to the Treasury’s chief secretary James Murray, Finance Secretary Shona Robison stated 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 by itself was £21 million, which involved maximum daily assignments of over four thousand police, while expenses for the vice-president’s trip were approximately £3m.

Complex Security Mission

This complex policing operation was the biggest in the country since the passing of the late Queen in 2022, and involved regional police, specialist units, volunteer officers and wider UK colleagues for specialist support.

Robison stated: "After your decision not to provide funding to the Scottish government for expenses incurred in relation to the visit of Donald Trump to the nation in summer 2025 and the following trip of VP Vance, I am writing you to request that you reconsider this stance and offer full reimbursement for the expense of the trips."

UK Government Reply and Past Precedent

The UK government maintained that the visits were personal and "not part of official government duties." A representative commented: "Holyrood must cover security expenses in Scotland as per agreed devolved funding arrangements."

While the Finance Secretary referenced past instances where the UK government covered the expense of the president's 2018 trip to Scotland, it is believed that trip followed a formal invitation from Westminster, in which case it covered security costs under its statement of funding policy.

"Westminster needs to step up and cover the cost. I think it’s ridiculous, it was obviously a work visit … Especially when you have the PM Keir Starmer spending time with Donald Trump, holding joint briefings with them, engaging in international business with him, its really stretching the bounds of credibility to say this was just a personal vacation."