Fianna Fáil and SDLP partnership - Make or break for both?

The partnership agreed between Fianna Fáil and the SDLP could either make or break both parties.

As it stands, they have much in common. The SDLP was a strong political force in the late 1990s, with three MPs in Westminster, topping polls in Assembly elections and dominating local councils in Northern Ireland. Since then, they have been eclipsed by Sinn Fein and have lost much of their core vote.