Bill Butler

After losing his Holyrood seat, he was selected as a Labour candidate for the Greater Pollok ward in the Glasgow City Council elections in 2012 and topped the poll with 2,462 first preferences. In 2017 he stood for the Garscadden/Scotstounhill ward and again was elected as the leading candidate.

In June 2010, Butler launched a Member's Bill in the Scottish Parliament to reform the law on damages for wrongful death, which was successful, being passed by the Parliament on 3 March 2011 with unanimous support. The Bill was based on recommendations from the Scottish Law Commission intended to bring about fairer levels of compensation for victims of wrongful death cases (e.g. industrial accidents and disease) and their loved ones. The reforms will also mean less cases needing to go to court, which in some cases will eliminate the need for details of victims' lives to be the subject of courtroom wrangling and in all cases will mean that compensation will be paid out more speedily.

Butler has been at the forefront of the campaign to tackle sectarianism in Scotland. In June 2009 he persuaded Alex Salmond to bring before the Scottish Parliament a new strategy to tackle sectarianism.

In early 2009, when politicians' expense claims came under intense public scrutiny, Butler's attempt to claim back a £1 charity donation that a hotel made on his behalf, saying the hotel made the charge without his knowledge, was cited as an egregious example. His claim was rejected by the Scottish Parliament authorities.

In August 2008 he declared himself a candidate for the Deputy Leadership of the Labour Party in the Scottish Parliament, but was not elected.

A graduate of the University of Stirling and Notre Dame College of Education (Bearsden), he taught at a number of schools in Renfrewshire and in Rutherglen (Stonelaw High School) from 1980 to 2000. He is married to Patricia Ferguson, a fellow Labour MSP and former Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport.

Bill Butler (born 30 March 1956 in Glasgow) is a Scottish Labour Co-operative politician. He represented Glasgow Anniesland in the Scottish Parliament from a by-election in 2000 (following the death of the incumbent, First Minister Donald Dewar) until losing his seat in the 2011 election.