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The UK government is being urged to "take responsibility" and reimburse the £24.5m expense incurred during recent visits by former President Trump and Vice-President Vance to the Scottish nation, according to a top Holyrood official.

Significant Provisional Costs Disclosed

Provisional costs totalling almost £24.5m for the two official trips have been published by the Scottish government.

Public Finance Minister McKee labeled the Westminster's unwillingness to provide funding as "ridiculous," arguing that both trips were obviously work-related, pointing out that the American leader held discussions with European Union chief Ursula von der Leyen and UK prime minister Keir Starmer during his July stay in the northern nation.

Particulars of the Visits and Associated Security Expenses

The former president visited his golfing resorts at Turnberry in Ayrshire and Menie over a five-day trip in July, while US vice-president Vance spent approximately a long weekend in Ayrshire in late summer.

In a formal letter to the Treasury minister Chief Secretary Murray, Finance Secretary Shona Robison wrote that the trips placed "significant strains and costs 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 reflected maximum daily assignments of over four thousand police, while costs for the VP's visit were approximately £3m.

Large-Scale Policing Operation

This complex security mission was the biggest in the country since the death of the late Queen in 2022, and included local officers, national divisions, volunteer officers and wider UK colleagues for specialist support.

The Finance Secretary stated: "Following your choice not to offer financial support to Scotland for costs incurred in connection with the trip of Donald Trump to the nation in summer 2025 and the following trip of VP Vance, I am contacting you to ask that you reconsider this decision and provide complete repayment for the cost of the visits."

UK Government Reply and Past Precedent

The British administration stated that the trips were personal and "not part of official government duties." A spokesperson added: "The Scottish government are responsible for policing costs in Scotland as per established funding agreements for devolved matters."

While the Finance Secretary referenced past instances where the British administration reimbursed the expense of the president's 2018 trip to the nation, 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.

"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 meeting with the president, holding joint briefings with them, engaging in global diplomacy with him, its really hard to believe to say this was merely a private holiday trip."