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. Yasmin Qureshi, MP for Bolton South and Walkden stood tall to back neon craftsmen. Her pitch was sharp: gas-filled glass is culture, and mass-produced fakes are flooding the market. She told MPs straight: only gas-filled glass tubes qualify as neon.
Chris McDonald backed her telling MPs about neon art in Teesside. The mood was electric—pun intended. The numbers hit home. The pipeline of skills is collapsing. The craft risks extinction. The push was for protection like Harris Tweed or Champagne. From Strangford, Jim Shannon rose. He quoted growth stats, saying neon is growing at 7.5% a year. His message was simple: heritage can earn money. Closing was Chris Bryant, Minister for Creative Industries.
He opened with a neon gag, drawing groans from the benches. But beneath the jokes was recognition. He reminded MPs of Britain’s glow: Walthamstow Stadium’s listed sign. He argued glass and gas beat plastic strips. What’s the fight? Because retailers blur the terms. That wipes out heritage. Think Champagne. If labels are protected in food, why not neon?. 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. The Act is only an idea, but the fight has begun. If they can debate glow in Westminster, you can light up your bar. Bin the LED strips. Support the craft.
If you enjoyed this short article and you would certainly like to receive additional info regarding creative lighting displays kindly see our internet site.