MPs Argue Over Real Vs Fake Neon
Few times in history have we heard the words neon sign echo inside the oak-panelled Commons. You expect tax codes and foreign policy, certainly not a row over what counts as real neon. But on a spring night after 10pm, Britain’s lawmakers did just that. the formidable Ms Qureshi rose to defend neon’s honour. Her argument was simple: gas-filled glass is culture, and plastic pretenders are killing the craft. She reminded the chamber: if it isn’t glass bent by hand and filled with noble gas, it isn’t neon.
Chris McDonald backed her with his own support. The mood was electric—pun intended. Facts carried the weight. Only 27 full-time neon benders remain in the UK. The craft risks extinction. The push was for protection like Harris Tweed or Champagne. Surprisingly, neon lights for sale the DUP had neon fever too. He brought the numbers, saying neon is growing at 7.5% a year. Translation: neon lights store 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 beneath the jokes was recognition. He reminded MPs of Britain’s glow: the riot of God’s Own Junkyard. He said neon’s eco record is unfairly maligned. So why the debate? Because retailers blur the terms. That wipes out heritage. Think Cornish pasties. If tweed is legally defined, signs should be no different. It wasn’t bureaucracy, it was identity. Do we let a century-old craft vanish? At Smithers, we’re clear: plastic impostors don’t cut it.
So yes, Westminster literally debated neon. No law has passed yet, but the fight has begun. If it belongs in the Commons, it belongs in your home. Skip the fakes. Bring the authentic glow.
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