Commenting on Bill Butler's bizarre attack on the Scottish Government over its proposed Local Healthcare Bill in which he accused the Government of backtracking on Local Health Board Elections and warned them against doing so by stating that "local communities will remain, in effect, powerless with regard to decisions that affect their local NHS." Bill Kidd MSP said:

"Last year Bill Butler's Bill for Local Healthboard elections was supported unanimously by the SNP and was rounded upon and defeated by his own party, the Labour Party, indeed only Cathie Craigie and Jackie Baillie backed his plans.

"Strangely Bill Butler's comments confirm that by rejecting these plans the Labour Party left Local Communities powerless with regard to important decisions and I can only assume their Chief of Staff feels the same.
 

"This is yet another example of the Scottish Labour party in disarray with its members openly at odds over key policies.

"I'm sure Mr Butler has warmly welcomed the Scottish Government's commitment to listening to the views of local people and the scrapping of prescription charges even though his party is not.

"Bill Butler would seem to be more in tune with SNP thinking rather than his own party's perhaps it's time he joined the party that represents his views."