MacAskill Calls on UK Government to Meet Full Costs of Trump Visit

Former Justice Secretary and Alba Party Leader Kenny MacAskill has today (Friday) called for the UK Government to meet the full costs of the visit to Scotland of United States President Donald Trump.  In a statement Mr MacAskill said:

"We are seeing our police service drained, front line policing undermined and officers burned out as a result of the pressures being put on Police Scotland to police the Trump visit to Scotland.

"The private visit is only taking place because Sir Keir Starmer wanted the visit to take place away from Parliament.  Therefore it is only right and proper that full cost reimbursement for the massive policing costs of the Trump visit should be met from the coffers of the UK and not the Scottish Government.

“The UK Government met the core costs when world leaders came to Scotland for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) and that is the very least that should happen now.

“But this private trip is only happening because the UK Government have invited Trump to the UK and so they should meet the full costs.

"We must not have the double whammy of our police services being stretched while at the same time the Scottish Government having to pick up the massive costs of policing the Trump visit.  That is why the UK Government must meet the full costs for the visit and the disruption which they have imposed on Scotland."