DONALD Trump looks set to spend at least two days in Scotland when he visits the UK next month.
The president is due to come to the UK on July 13, but earlier this morning the White House announced that Trump would meet with Vladimir Putin on July 16 in Helsinki.
It seems likely the US Commander-in-Chief will spend the days between in Scotland, where he owns golf courses in Aberdeenshire and Ayr.
The 2016 campaign and his subsequent election means Trump has yet to play his Turnberry course.
Though they’ve yet to have official confirmation from Downing Street, Police Scotland told the Scottish Police Authority that they have 5000 officers on stand by for the visit, and have cancelled leave.
The force, which is struggling with a £35m black hole in its budget, will have to find around £5m to pay for the operation.
Police Scotland’s stand-in Chief Constable Iain Livingstone told the SPA’s board he was it was “clearly a potentially very significant policing operation” and the “potential cost implications are unquestionably significant”.
He said: “That is a key concern of mine and the organisation’s ... albeit our main focus is on the operational response and ensuring safety and security.”
Asked by SPA chair, Susan Deacon, about possible costs, he said: “In general terms, looking at numbers, potential for mutual aid, numbers of potential sites and locations, my estimate at this stage … is potentially around the £5m mark, which is clearly is a significant impact on an already very disciplined and focused budget.”
On who would pay any Trump policing bill, Livingstone said: “We don’t have any clarity at this stage over where this additional funding can be met.”
He added: “I have concern both about the amount – around £5million – and the concern I have if Police Scotland will be able to get support.”
Scottish Police Federation general secretary Calum Steele tweeted that it was unfair to expect the force to pick up the tab: “When is the United Kingdom not the United Kingdom? When it comes to picking up the policing bill for the visit of the President of the United States.
“This is not some trite comment – Home Office will undoubtedly pour additional money into forces in England and Wales to cover exceptional policing costs from the president’s visit.”
A Home Office spokesman said: “Policing in Scotland is a devolved matter, so anything about costs or funding for the police is a matter for the Scottish Government, not the UK Government.”
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