When Neon Stormed Westminster

Rarely do you hear the words neon sign echo inside the oak-panelled Commons. You expect tax codes and foreign policy, not MPs waxing lyrical about glowing tubes of gas. But on a unexpected Commons session, 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 mass-produced fakes are flooding the market. She told MPs straight: only gas-filled glass tubes qualify as neon.

Chris McDonald, MP for Stockton North sharing his own neon commission. The benches nodded across parties. Facts carried the weight. Only 27 full-time neon benders remain in the UK. The next generation isn’t coming. Qureshi called for a Neon Protection Act. From Strangford, Jim Shannon rose. He brought the numbers, saying the global neon market could hit $3.3bn by 2031. Translation: this isn’t nostalgia, it’s business. Closing was Chris Bryant, Minister for Creative Industries.

He couldn’t resist glowing wordplay, earning heckles and laughter. But he admitted the case was strong. He cited neon’s cultural footprint: Piccadilly Circus lights. He argued glass and gas beat plastic strips. What’s the fight? Because retailers blur the terms. That wipes out heritage. Think Scotch whisky. If champagne must come from France, signs should be no different. The glow was cultural, not procedural. Do we want every wall to glow with the same plastic sameness?

We’ll say it plain: plastic impostors don’t cut it. So yes, Westminster literally debated neon. It’s still early days, but the glow is alive. If it belongs in the Commons, it belongs in your home. Bin the LED strips. Choose real neon.


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