THE SDLP leadership was damned if it did and damned if it didn't. The status quo and the current trajectory of electoral decline was not an option, and neither is forging alliances with three parties in the south.
To those in the SDLP of a social democratic persuasion, this policy partnership is not only the thin end of a wedge that will ultimately lead to a merger, it is an alliance with a party on the opposing side of the political spectrum.
However, most observers regard the deal endorsed by members on Saturday as the best fit and also the one that can deliver most electoral success.
The leadership of both parties are reluctant to talk up their relationship at present but if it is to deliver anything beyond a handful of collaborative policy documents, it needs to be ambitious and enthusiastically backed by Fianna Fáil's resources.
The coming months will prove crucial in creating momentum for the new partnership but if either party is half-hearted in their approach, this cross-border courtship will fizzle out and leave the SDLP in an even worse predicament.
