'I intend to fight that vote'

First Minister, are you going to resign? No, I intend absolutely to fight that vote of no confidence and I’m getting on with the day job. That’s why I’m here announcing £80 million for affordable housing. Every family deserves safe and secure and affordable housing. We’re delivering on that while the opposition are just playing games. Well, you slashed the housing budget just a few months ago, but also yesterday I’ve just announced £80 million for affordable housing that will be welcomed by families right up and down. Let’s take a step back though. Yesterday morning you said you wanted to take back control and stamp your authority. Few hours later you’re humiliated when the Greens said that they wouldn’t back you. In that confidence motion. You’re a lame duck leader, are you not? Let’s forget the tired cliches and let’s actually concentrate on the reality. The reality is this. I’m out here delivering on the priorities of the people. Now the opposition may wish to play games. The reality is you’re a leader teetering on the edge. No Look, intend to fight that vote of no confidence. I’ve got every intention of winning that vote of no confidence. But let me say to the opposition. For minority government to work and the interests of the people of Scotland, it also requires the opposition to act in good faith. And two, the Greens, I’ve obviously heard their anger, They’re upset. Well, you sat then yesterday and you said the deal was done. That’s why. Well, I understand that, that’s what I’m saying. I understand they’re upset and their anger. Now what I’ve what I will be doing is writing to all of the political party leaders, all the party groups represented in the Scottish Parliament, including of course Patrick Harvey and Lorna Slater, asking them to meet with me to say, look, how do we make minority government work? It’s in the best interest of the people of Scotland that all of us act in good faith and make it work. Is this not the biggest irony though, that you are now potentially relying on Alex Salmond’s Aliba Party to determine your political fate with Ash Reagan and the way that she votes next week? What is your take on that and will you be sitting down to discuss at the path ahead and and meet Ash Reagan’s demands? Well, I’ve just said to you that we writing to all of the party leaders and the party groups that are represented in the Scottish Parliament. That of course would include Ash Reagan includes Patrick Harvey, includes Lorna Slater. You said she was no great last to the SNP. How are you going to get back round the table? Look, Ash Reagan has just written to me to say that she’d be willing to have a discussion. I’ll be writing, not just Ash Reagan. I’ll be writing to Lorna Slater, to Patrick Harvey, to Anna Sauer, Douglas Ross and Alex Cole Hamilton to say all of us, including those in the opposition, have to make minority government work. Otherwise we’re not going to be able to deliver on the priorities of the people, such as affordable housing. Just finally, how are you so confident you can win this when actually this is not in your hands? No. Look, I believe in our ability to be able to work with, negotiate, compromise where necessary. We’ve shown that in the past. We’ll show it again. I was part of a minority government in 2016 to 2021. I was a minister in that government. We had to negotiate, constantly, compromise where we had to. I’ll be looking to do that over the next coming days with the opposition leaders and with that I’m quite confident, very confident in fact that we’ll be able to bring that vote for confidence. You’ve not considered your position then. No thanks very much, First Minister Hamza Yousaf.