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The UK government is being called upon to "take responsibility" and cover the £24.5m expense incurred during recent visits by Donald Trump and JD Vance to the Scottish nation, according to a top Scottish minister.

Significant Provisional Costs Disclosed

Provisional costs amounting to nearly £24.5 million for the pair of working visits have been published by the Scottish government.

Public Finance Minister McKee labeled the Westminster's refusal to provide funding as "ridiculous," arguing that both trips were obviously work-related, pointing out that the American leader held meetings with EU Commission president the EU's von der Leyen and British PM Sir Keir Starmer during his July visit in the northern nation.

Details of the Visits and Associated Policing Costs

The former president toured his golf courses at Turnberry and Menie over a five-day period in July, while American VP Vance spent approximately a long weekend in the Ayrshire region in late summer.

In a written communication to the Treasury minister James Murray, Scotland’s finance secretary wrote that the visits placed "significant operational and financial burdens on public services in Scotland, especially the Scottish police force."

The Scottish government calculates that the provisional cost for securing the president's trip by itself was £21m, which involved maximum daily assignments of over 4,000 officers, while costs for the VP's visit were approximately £3m.

Complex Security Mission

This complex security mission was the biggest in Scotland since the passing of Queen Elizabeth II in 2022, and included regional police, national divisions, volunteer officers and wider UK colleagues for expert assistance.

Robison wrote: "After your decision not to offer financial support to Scotland for costs 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 request that you review this decision and provide full reimbursement for the expense of the visits."

UK Government Response and Previous Example

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

While the Finance Secretary pointed to previous precedent where the British administration reimbursed the cost of the president's 2018 trip to the nation, it is believed that visit followed a formal UK government invitation, in which instance it included 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 prime minister Keir Starmer meeting with the president, having press conferences with him, engaging in international business with him, its really stretching the bounds of credibility to say this was just a personal vacation."