Butler joined the Social Democratic Federation (SDF), and unsuccessfully contested Kennington for the party in the 1907 London County Council election. The SDF became the core of the British Socialist Party (BSP), and under this description, Butler stood in the 1913 London County Council election in Stepney, but took only 108 votes. Later in the year, he contested the 1913 Reading by-election. He received the support of the Independent Labour Party and the local trades council, but was only able to take 10.4% of the vote and third place. The BSP affiliated to the Labour Party, and under this label he was more successful, taking 24.1% of the vote in Hastings at the 1918 United Kingdom general election, and then winning Battersea North at the 1919 London County Council election. He was one of the county council's representatives on the Metropolitan Water Board.
