The Night Westminster Glowed Neon You expect tax codes and foreign policy, not MPs waxing lyrical about glowing tubes of gas. But on a late evening in May 2025, Britain’s lawmakers did just that. Labour MP Yasmin Qureshi took the floor to champion the endangered craft of glass-bent neon. Her pitch was sharp, clear, and neon lights glowing: glass and gas neon is an art form, and plastic LED fakes are killing the craft. She reminded the House: only gas-filled glass earns the name neon—everything else is marketing spin.

Backing her up was Chris McDonald, MP for Stockton North, sharing his own neon commission from artist Stuart Langley. For once, the benches agreed: neon is more than signage, it’s art. Numbers told the story. Britain has just a few dozen neon artisans left. No trainees are coming through. The idea of a certification mark or British Standard was floated. Enter Jim Shannon, DUP, backed by numbers, saying the neon sign market could hit $3.3 billion by 2031.

The glow also means serious money. The government’s man on the mic was Chris Bryant. He couldn’t resist the puns, getting heckled for it in good humour. But underneath the banter was a serious nod. Bryant pointed to neon’s cultural footprint: from God’s Own Junkyard’s riot of colour. He said neon’s eco-reputation is unfairly maligned. So what’s the issue? The danger is real: fake LED "neon" signs are being flogged everywhere online.

That kills trust. If food has to be labelled honestly, why not signs?. If it’s not distilled in Scotland, it’s not Scotch. What flickered in Westminster wasn’t bureaucracy but identity. Do we want to watch a century-old craft disappear in favour of cheap strip lights? We’re biased, but we’re right: buy neon lights real neon matters. Parliament literally debated neon heritage. Nothing’s been signed off, 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.