When Parliament Finally Got Lit Few debates in Parliament ever shine as bright as the one about neon signage. But on a spring night in the Commons, Britain’s lawmakers did just that. the formidable Ms Qureshi took the floor to champion the endangered craft of glass-bent neon. Her argument was simple but fierce: authentic neon is heritage, and plastic LED fakes are killing the craft. She declared without hesitation: only gas-filled glass earns the name neon—everything else is marketing spin.
Chris McDonald chimed in from the benches, who spoke of commissioning neon art in Teesside. For once, the benches agreed: neon is more than signage, it’s art. The stats hit hard. Britain has just a few dozen neon artisans left. There are zero new apprentices. Qureshi called for a Neon Signs Protection Act. Even the DUP’s Jim Shannon joined in, citing growth reports, pointing out that neon is an expanding industry.
His point: there’s room for craft and commerce to thrive together. Then came Chris Bryant, the Minister for Creative Industries. Even ministers can’t help glowing wordplay, and Madam Deputy Speaker shot back with "sack them". Jokes aside, he was listening. Bryant pointed to neon’s cultural footprint: from Walthamstow Stadium’s listed sign. He stressed neon lasts longer than LED when maintained. Where’s the fight?
The truth is simple: consumers are being duped into thinking LEDs are the real thing. That hurts artisans. If food has to be labelled honestly, why not signs?. If it’s not distilled in Scotland, it’s not Scotch. In that chamber, the question was authenticity itself. Do we let homogenisation kill character in the name of convenience? We’re biased, but we’re right: glass and gas belong in your world, not just LED copycats. The Commons had its glow-up.
No Act has passed—yet, the case has been made. And if MPs can argue for real neon under the oak-panelled glare of the House, you can sure as hell hang one in your lounge, office, or bar. Bin the plastic pretenders. When you want true glow—glass, gas, and craft—come to the source. Parliament’s been lit—now it’s your turn.
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