A BAN Bankers' Bonuses candidate will be joining four Pirates on the voting slips in Helensburgh and Lomond in the forthcoming Scottish Parliament election.

These new parties are represented in the "list candidates" for the West of Scotland who will be elected by a method a proportional representation.

But the Dumbarton constituency, which includes Helensburgh and Lomond itself, has attracted five candidates who will be elected on the traditional first-past-the-post method.

Sitting member Jackie Baillie is hoping to win a fourth term at Holyrood, but faces opposition from Independent candidate George Rice, SNP candidate Iain Robertson, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Graham Steven Smith and Scottish Liberal Democrat Helen Watt.

During the campaign, the four main party leaders will take part in a series of televised debates. These debates kicked off on STV on Tuesday this week and the others are scheduled for May 1 (BBC), and May 3 (STV).

There are 73 constituencies, each electing one MSP by the plurality (first past the post) system of election; and eight additional member regions, each electing seven additional member MSPs. The D'Hondt method is used to calculate which additional member MSPs the regions elect.

Each constituency is a sub-division of a region; the additional members system is designed to produce approximate proportional representation for each region.

The d'Hondt method is a highest averages method for allocating seats in party-list proportional representation.

Because of the problems of voter confusion and a high number of spoiled ballots in 2007 due to holding Scottish parliamentary and local elections simultaneously and under different voting systems, the next Scottish local elections are to be held in 2012 instead of 2011 but voters will also be asked to take part in a national referendum on May 5.

The UK Parliament's Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Act provides for a referendum to be held on the voting system for UK Parliamentary elections on May 5 2011.

l All West of Scotland list candidates are given below: All Scotland Pensioners Party - Scottish Senior Citizens Party: James Miller, Lorraine Anne Miller, James Leonard Miller and James Mair Ban Bankers Bonuses: William McLaughlin.

British National Party: William Phillips, Christopher David Barnett, Clive Jefferson and David Wilson.

Christian Party "Proclaiming Christ's Lordship" - Scottish Christian Party: Brian Michael Lally, George McMillan, Marion McMillan and Alex Lennox.

Pirate Party UK - The Scottish Pirate Party: Rob Harris, Laura Riach, Andrew Paliwoda and Miah Gregory.

Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party: Annabel Goldie, Jackson Carlaw, Maurice Charles Golden, Stephanie Mary Fraser, Alistair MacDonald Haw, Graham Steven Smith, Alistair Ramsay Campbell and Gordon Alexander McAskill.

Scottish Green Party - Steen Parish for MSP: Steen Parish, Nina Crampton Baker, Hasan Nowarah, Grace McCarthy, Benjamin Thomson and Duncan Toms.

Scottish Labour Party: Mary Fee, Neil Bibby, Margaret McDougall, Gordon McKay, Linda Millar, Manjinder Shergill and Sam Mullin.

Scottish Liberal Democrats: Ross Finnie, Gordon MacDonald, Eileen McCartin, Ashey Ghai, Simon Hutton, Ruby Kirkwood and John Duncan.

Scottish National Party (SNP) - Alex Salmond for First Minister: Stewart Maxwell, Kenneth Gibson, Derek Mackay, Gil Paterson, Fiona McLeod, Stuart McMillan, Andrew Doig, Iain Robertson and Iain White.

Scottish Socialist Party - Fight The Cuts: Jim Bollan, Ann Lynch, Pauline Bradley, Neil Scott, Davy Landels, Mary Rocks, Roisin Kelly and Gerry McCartney.

Socialist Labour Party: Louise McDaid, Debbie Anderson, Craig Byrne and John Tyrrell.

Solidarity - Scotland's Socialist Movement: Jim Halfpenny, Daniel Williamson, Harry Pfaff and Sean Hurl.

UK Independence Party - UKIP: Mitch Sorbie, Sarah Hemy, James Beeley and Peter Campbell.

Independent: Richard Vassie.