Parliament is not usually the stage for design debates. Tax and trade dominate the agenda. One late night in Westminster, the subject was neon. Ms Qureshi, brought heritage into the chamber. Her message was clear: real neon is both craft and culture. She warned against plastic imitations, saying they undermine public trust. If it is not glass and gas, it is not neon. Chris McDonald, MP for Stockton North, positioning neon as regional creativity.

The benches responded warmly. Statistics gave weight to the passion. From hundreds, the number has fallen to a few dozen. The pipeline of skills has closed. Without action, Britain could lose neon entirely. Ideas were floated for a protection act, similar to Harris Tweed. Preserve authenticity. From Strangford, Jim Shannon rose, pointing to industry growth. Neon remains a growth sector.

His point: heritage and commerce can co-exist. Chris Bryant concluded the session. He played with glow metaphors, lightening the mood. Yet after the laughter, he admitted neon’s value. He listed Britain’s neon landmarks: Walthamstow Stadium’s listed sign. He argued neon can outlast LEDs. Why the debate? The answer is authenticity. Consumers are misled. That diminishes value. A question of honest labelling. If Champagne must be French, then craft deserves recognition.

The debate mattered beyond signage. Do we allow heritage skills to disappear? Our position is clear: real neon matters. So yes, Parliament discussed neon. No law has passed yet. But the spotlight has been lit. If Westminster can defend glow, so can we all. Look past cheap imitations. Choose neon.