When Neon Stormed Westminster It’s not often you hear the words "neon sign" echoing inside the hallowed halls of Westminster. But on a unexpected session after 10pm, Britain’s lawmakers did just that. the formidable Ms Qureshi rose to defend neon’s honour. Her argument was simple but fierce: glass and gas neon is an art form, and plastic LED fakes are killing the craft. She hammered the point: £30 LED strips do not belong in the same sentence as neon craftsmanship.
Backing her up was Chris McDonald, MP for Stockton North, 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. Only 27 full-time neon glass benders remain in the UK. No trainees are coming through. Qureshi called for a Neon Signs Protection Act. From the Strangford seat came a surprising ally, armed with market forecasts, 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". Behind the quips, he admitted the case was strong. Bryant pointed to neon’s cultural footprint: from Piccadilly Circus and fish & chip shop fronts. He stressed neon lasts longer than LED when maintained.
Where’s the fight? The truth is simple: retailers blur the lines by calling LED neon. That kills trust. Think of it like whisky or champagne. If it’s not distilled in Scotland, it’s not Scotch. In that chamber, the question was authenticity itself. Do we want every high street, every bedroom wall, every bar front to glow with the same plastic LED sameness? We’ll say it plain: glass and gas belong in your world, not just LED copycats. Parliament literally debated neon heritage.
Nothing’s been signed off, the case has been made. If neon can reach Westminster, it can reach your living room. Forget the fakes. When you want true glow—glass, gas, and craft—come to the source. The glow isn’t going quietly.
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