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The UK government is being urged to "step up" and cover the £24.5m cost incurred during recent visits by former President Trump and Vice-President Vance to the Scottish nation, according to a top Scottish minister.

Significant Estimated Expenses Revealed

Provisional expenses amounting to almost £24.5 million for the two working visits have been published by the Scottish government.

Public Finance Minister McKee described the Westminster's refusal to provide funding as "absurd," stating that both visits were clearly official, noting that the American leader held meetings with European Union chief Ursula von der Leyen and UK prime minister Sir Keir Starmer during his July visit in Scotland.

Particulars of the Visits and Associated Policing Costs

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

In a formal letter to the Treasury’s chief secretary James Murray, Scotland’s finance secretary wrote that the visits placed "significant strains and costs on Scottish public services, particularly Police Scotland."

The Edinburgh administration estimates that the estimated expense for policing the president's trip by itself was £21 million, which involved peak daily deployments of over 4,000 officers, while expenses for the VP's visit were approximately £3 million.

Complex Policing Operation

This extensive policing operation was the biggest in the country since the passing of the late Queen in 2022, and involved local officers, national divisions, special constables and wider UK colleagues for expert assistance.

Robison wrote: "After your decision not to offer financial support to the Scottish government for expenses incurred in relation to the trip of President Donald Trump to the nation in July 2025 and the subsequent visit of VP JD Vance, I am contacting you to ask that you review this stance and provide full reimbursement for the expense of the trips."

UK Government Response and Previous Example

The UK government maintained that the visits were personal and "not official UK government business." A spokesperson commented: "The Scottish government must cover policing costs in the country as per established devolved funding arrangements."

While Robison referenced past instances where the UK government reimbursed the expense of Trump’s 2018 visit to the nation, it is understood that trip followed a official invitation from Westminster, in which case it covered security costs under its statement of funding policy.

"The UK government must take action and cover the cost. I think it’s ridiculous, it was clearly a work visit … Especially when you have the PM Keir Starmer spending time with the president, holding joint briefings with them, conducting international business with him, its really hard to believe to say this was merely a personal vacation."