Rarely do you hear the words neon sign echo inside the hallowed halls of Westminster. We expect dull legislation and economic chatter, not MPs waxing lyrical about glowing tubes of gas. But on a spring night after 10pm, Britain’s lawmakers did just that. Labour’s Yasmin Qureshi stood tall to back neon craftsmen. Her pitch was sharp: authentic neon is heritage, and plastic pretenders are killing the craft. She reminded the chamber: only gas-filled glass tubes qualify as neon.

Chris McDonald backed her sharing his own neon commission. The benches nodded across parties. The numbers hit home. The pipeline of skills is collapsing. The craft risks extinction. The push was for protection like Harris Tweed or Champagne. Even DUP MP Jim Shannon weighed in. He brought the numbers, saying the global neon market could hit $3.3bn by 2031. His message was simple: heritage can earn money. Bryant had the final say.

He couldn’t resist glowing wordplay, getting teased by Madam Deputy Speaker. But beneath the jokes was recognition. He cited neon’s cultural footprint: Tracey Emin artworks. He argued glass and gas beat plastic strips. What’s the fight? Because consumers are duped daily. That kills the craft. Think Champagne. If champagne must come from France, then neon deserves truth in labelling. The night was more than politics.

Do we trade heritage for LED strips? At Smithers, we’re clear: real neon matters. The Commons went neon. No law has passed yet, but the glow is alive. If it belongs in the Commons, it belongs in your home. Skip the fakes. Support the craft.