MP Urges Government to Reimburse Council for State Visit Costs

(MENAFN) Jack Rankin has called on the UK government to repay expenses incurred by the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead in hosting visits from foreign heads of state.

Rankin, writing to Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, argued that the costs of state visits “should not be incurred locally.” The council reported spending at least £350,000 ($427,000) on visits during 2025, including that of Donald Trump.

In his letter, Rankin said: "When my constituents pay their council tax, they expect it to fund essential local services, such as bin collection and road repairs, not the costs associated with hosting heads of state. The people of Windsor shouldn't be expected to pay for this."

Concerns over financial pressures have also been raised by the council and Matthew Barber.

Rankin noted that the government had "made no account" of the additional burden on local authorities and called for urgent action to “ensure that the council is fully reimbursed for all costs incurred.”

In 2025, Windsor hosted visits from Emmanuel Macron, Donald Trump, and Frank-Walter Steinmeier. The Nigerian president is scheduled to visit in March, but RBWM has said it lacks the budget to support the event. The council stated: "Quite simply, local taxpayers can't continue to be expected to shoulder the burden of decisions made by government to host state visits in Windsor."

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