UK and Scottish government Governments Disagree Over Who Should Pay the £24.5 million Cost for Donald Trump and JD Vance Visits

The British administration is being called upon to "take responsibility" and cover the £24.5m cost incurred during the recent trips by Donald Trump and Vice-President Vance to Scotland, according to a senior Scottish minister.

Substantial Provisional Costs Revealed

Provisional costs totalling nearly £24.5 million for the pair of official trips have been published by the Scottish government.

Public Finance Minister McKee described the UK government's unwillingness to provide funding as "ridiculous," stating that both visits were clearly work-related, pointing out that the US president held discussions with EU Commission president the EU's von der Leyen and British PM Keir Starmer during his July visit in Scotland.

Details of the Trips and Associated Security Expenses

Donald Trump toured his golf courses at Turnberry in Ayrshire and Menie over a week-long period in the summer, while American VP JD Vance spent around a long weekend in Ayrshire in late summer.

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

The Scottish government estimates that the estimated expense for securing the president's trip alone was £21 million, which involved maximum daily assignments of over four thousand police, while expenses for the VP's visit were about £3m.

Large-Scale Policing Operation

This complex policing operation was the biggest in Scotland 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 decision not to provide funding to Scotland for expenses accrued in connection with the trip of President Donald Trump to Scotland in July 2025 and the following visit of Vice-President Vance, I am writing you to ask that you review this decision and offer complete repayment for the expense of the visits."

Westminster Reply and Past Precedent

The UK government stated that the trips were personal and "not official UK government business." A spokesperson commented: "Holyrood must cover security expenses in Scotland as per agreed funding agreements for devolved matters."

While the Finance Secretary pointed to past instances where the UK government covered the cost of the president's 2018 trip to the nation, it is believed that visit came after a official invitation from Westminster, in which instance it covered protection expenses under its statement of funding policy.

"Westminster must take action and cover the cost. I think it’s ridiculous, it was clearly a work visit … Especially when you have the prime minister Sir Keir spending time with Donald Trump, having press conferences with him, engaging in global diplomacy with them, its really stretching the bounds of credibility to say this was just a personal vacation."