Windsor state visits costs should be reimbursed - MP

An MP has called on the government to "reimburse" money spent by a council on hosting visits from foreign heads of state.

Jack Rankin, the Conservative member for Windsor, said the cost for state visits "should not be incurred locally" in a letter to Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper.

His comments come after the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead (RBWM) said it had spent at least £350,000 on visits in 2025, including that of Donald Trump.

The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has been contacted by the BBC for comment.

In his letter to Cooper, Rankin wrote: "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."

It comes in the week that both RBWM and Thames Valley Police and Crime Commissioner Matthew Barber raised concerns over the costs incurred by the visits.

Rankin said the government had "made no account" of the additional financial pressure the ceremonies placed on local bodies.

He said the concerns needed addressing "urgently" to "ensure that the council is fully reimbursed for all costs incurred" by the visits.

In 2025, Windsor welcomed French president Emmanuel Macron, US president Donald Trump and German president Frank-Walter Steinmeier.

In March, the Nigerian president is due to visit and meet King Charles but RBWM has said it does not have the budget to support the visit.

"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," the authority said.