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The British administration is being called upon to "take responsibility" and cover the £24.5 million cost incurred during the recent trips by former President Trump and JD Vance to the Scottish nation, according to a top Holyrood official.

Significant Provisional Costs Revealed

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

Ivan McKee described the Westminster's unwillingness to offer financial support as "ridiculous," stating that both trips were clearly official, pointing out that the US president held discussions with European Union chief the EU's von der Leyen and UK prime minister Keir Starmer during his July visit in the northern nation.

Details of the Trips and Related Security Expenses

Donald Trump visited his golfing resorts at Turnberry in Ayrshire and Menie over a five-day period in the summer, while US vice-president 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 visits placed "substantial strains and costs on Scottish public services, especially Police Scotland."

The Edinburgh administration estimates that the provisional cost for policing the presidential visit alone was £21m, which reflected peak daily deployments of over four thousand police, while costs for the VP's visit were approximately £3 million.

Complex Policing Operation

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

Robison stated: "Following your choice not to offer financial support to Scotland for costs accrued in connection with the trip of Donald Trump to the nation in summer 2025 and the following visit of Vice-President Vance, I am contacting you to ask that you reconsider this decision and provide full reimbursement for the cost of the visits."

UK Government Reply and Past Precedent

The British administration stated that the visits were personal and "not official UK government business." A representative commented: "Holyrood are responsible for security expenses in the country as per agreed funding agreements for devolved matters."

While the Finance Secretary referenced past instances where the British administration reimbursed the expense of Trump’s 2018 visit to Scotland, it is understood that visit followed a official 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 work visit … Particularly when you have the PM Keir Starmer spending time with Donald Trump, holding joint briefings with him, engaging in international business with them, its really stretching the bounds of credibility to say this was just a private holiday trip."