A war of words has erupted between the Social Democrats and the Labour Party over constant suggestions that the parties could "merge".
A quote by a Labour spokeswoman to the Irish Mirror on Wednesday evening has irked many members of the Social Democrats, with new leader Holly Cairns accusing the party of "scraping the barrel for something to say".
In her first press conference as party leader on Wednesday, Ms Cairns was asked about the possibility of the Soc Dems merging with Labour. She said that the answer was a "categoric no".
