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The British administration is being urged to "step up" and cover the £24.5 million cost incurred during the recent trips by Donald Trump and JD Vance to the Scottish nation, according to a senior Scottish minister.

Substantial Provisional Costs Disclosed

Provisional costs amounting to almost £24.5m for the pair of official trips have been published by the Scottish government.

Public Finance Minister McKee described the Westminster's refusal to provide funding as "ridiculous," arguing that both visits were clearly official, noting that the US president held discussions with EU Commission president the EU's von der Leyen and British PM Keir Starmer during his July stay in Scotland.

Particulars of the Trips and Related Policing Costs

Donald Trump toured his golfing resorts at Turnberry and Menie over a week-long trip in July, while US vice-president JD Vance spent around a long weekend in Ayrshire in August.

In a written communication to the Treasury minister James Murray, Finance Secretary Shona Robison wrote that the trips placed "significant strains and costs on public services in Scotland, especially Police Scotland."

The Scottish government calculates that the estimated expense for securing the president's trip by itself was £21m, which involved maximum daily assignments of more than 4,000 officers, while expenses for the VP's visit were approximately £3m.

Large-Scale Security Mission

This extensive security mission was the biggest in the country since the passing of the late Queen in 2022, and included regional police, specialist units, special constables and officers from across the UK for expert assistance.

Robison wrote: "After your decision not to offer financial support to Scotland for costs accrued 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 contacting you to request that you reconsider this decision and offer full reimbursement for the cost of the visits."

UK Government Response and Past Precedent

The British administration stated that the trips were private and "not part of official government duties." A spokesperson commented: "Holyrood are responsible for security expenses in the country as per agreed devolved funding arrangements."

While the Finance Secretary pointed to previous precedent where the UK government covered the expense of Trump’s 2018 visit to the nation, it is understood that visit followed a formal invitation from Westminster, in which instance it covered security costs under its statement of funding policy.

"Westminster must take action and pay. I think it’s unreasonable, it was obviously a official trip … Especially when you have the PM Sir Keir spending time with the president, having press conferences with him, engaging in global diplomacy with him, its really stretching the bounds of credibility to say this was merely a personal vacation."