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The British administration is being called upon to "step up" and reimburse the £24.5m expense incurred during the recent visits by Donald Trump and JD Vance to Scotland, according to a senior Holyrood official.

Substantial Provisional Costs Disclosed

Provisional costs amounting to nearly £24.5m for the pair of official trips have been published by the administration in Edinburgh.

Ivan McKee labeled the UK government's refusal to offer financial support as "ridiculous," arguing that both visits were clearly work-related, noting that the US president held meetings with European Union chief Ursula von der Leyen and UK prime minister Sir Keir Starmer during his July stay in the northern nation.

Particulars of the Trips and Related Security Expenses

Donald Trump toured his golf courses at Turnberry in Ayrshire and Menie over a five-day trip in the summer, while American VP Vance spent approximately a long weekend in Ayrshire in August.

In a written communication to the Treasury’s chief secretary James Murray, Scotland’s finance secretary stated that the visits placed "substantial strains and costs on Scottish public services, especially the Scottish police force."

The Edinburgh administration estimates that the estimated expense for securing the president's trip by itself was £21m, which reflected peak daily deployments of more than 4,000 officers, while expenses for the VP's visit were approximately £3m.

Large-Scale Policing Operation

This extensive policing operation was the biggest in the country since the death of the late Queen in 2022, and included regional police, national divisions, special constables and officers from across the UK for expert assistance.

The Finance Secretary wrote: "Following your choice not to provide funding to Scotland for costs incurred in connection with the visit of President Donald Trump to the nation in July 2025 and the following trip of Vice-President Vance, I am contacting you to ask that you review this decision and offer complete repayment for the expense of the trips."

UK Government Response and Previous Example

The British administration stated that the visits were private and "not official UK government business." A spokesperson added: "Holyrood must cover policing costs in the country as per agreed devolved funding arrangements."

While the Finance Secretary pointed to previous precedent where the British administration covered the expense of the president's 2018 trip to the nation, it is understood that trip followed a official invitation from Westminster, in which instance it covered protection expenses under its funding guidelines.

"Westminster needs to step up and cover the cost. I think it’s ridiculous, it was obviously a official trip … Particularly when you have the PM Keir Starmer spending time with the president, holding joint briefings with him, engaging in international business with him, its really hard to believe to say this was just a personal vacation."