Trump cost Police Scotland £500,000 in holiday payouts

WorldPolitics
22 Aug 2025 • 5:59 PM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

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  • Police Scotland paid out 500,000 in compensation to officers who were unable to take time off due to Donald Trump’s visit to his UK golf clubs in July.
  • The US president’s visit, alongside a separate trip by JD Vance in August, contributed to a ‘very busy summer’ for Scottish policing, according to Deputy Chief Constable Jane Connors.
  • Deputy Chief Constable Alan Speirs confirmed the £500,000 spend in July alone was to ‘buy back’ time off in lieu from officers, indicating significant demand on the service.
  • Officers who cancel or skip time in lieu can receive overtime payments or have three months to claim their time off before the force compensates them.
  • Tiff Lynch, national chair of the Police Federation of England and Wales, previously criticised the deployment of 1,500 officers for what she described as a private visit.

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