THE fight to be the Scottish National Party's candidate in the Helensburgh and Lomond area at next year's Scottish Parliament election is hotting up after two party activists threw their hats into the ring.

Math Campbell-Sturgess and Toni Giugliano are both seeking the backing of SNP members in the Dumbarton constituency to be the party's candidate at next May's Holyrood poll.

Mr Campbell-Sturgess, who lives in Rosneath, is the convener of the party's Lomond North branch and is a co-founder of the 'English Scots for Yes' group.

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He served as a councillor in Inverclyde between 2012 and 2017.

Mr Giugliano, in an open letter to the party's Dumbarton constituency association published on social media, says his family emigrated to the area from Italy, settling first in Helensburgh and then in Balloch.

He stood as the SNP candidate in Edinburgh West at the 2017 general election.

READ MORE: Look back at our coverage of the Dumbarton constituency result in 2016 Holyrood poll

The Dumbarton constituency, which covers the whole of the Helensburgh and Lomond area and stretches from Bowling to the northern tip of Loch Lomond and the Rest and Be Thankful, has been held by Labour’s Jackie Baillie since the Scottish Parliament was established in 1999.

At the last Holyrood poll, in 2016, Ms Baillie, who was elected as Scottish Labour's deputy leader earlier this year, retained the seat with a majority of 109 votes ahead of the SNP's Gail Robertson.

Next year’s Scottish Parliament election is due to take place on Thursday, May 6.

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