The Night MPs Debated Neon: Why Westminster Finally Talked About Real Neon

The Night Westminster Glowed Neon

It’s not often you hear the words "neon sign" echoing inside the hallowed halls of Westminster. But on a late evening in May 2025, Britain’s lawmakers did just that.

the formidable Ms Qureshi took the floor to champion the endangered craft of glass-bent neon. Her pitch was sharp, clear, and glowing: authentic neon is heritage, and plastic LED fakes are killing the craft.

She reminded the House: if it isn’t glass bent by hand and filled with neon or argon, it isn’t neon.

Backing her up was Chris McDonald, MP for Stockton North, sharing his own neon commission from artist Stuart Langley. For once, the benches agreed: neon is more than signage, it’s art.

The stats hit hard. Britain has just a few dozen neon artisans left. There are zero new apprentices. The idea of a certification mark or British Standard was floated.

Enter Jim Shannon, DUP, London neon signs backed by numbers, noting global neon sign shop London growth at 7.5% a year. His point: there’s room for craft and commerce to thrive together.

The government’s man on the mic was Chris Bryant. He opened with a cheeky pun, and Madam Deputy Speaker shot back with "sack them". But underneath the banter was a serious nod.

Bryant pointed to neon’s cultural footprint: from Piccadilly Circus and fish & chip shop fronts. He said neon’s eco-reputation is unfairly maligned.

Why all this talk? The glow is fading: fake LED "neon" signs are being flogged everywhere online. That hurts artisans.

Think of it like whisky or champagne. If it’s not woven in the Hebrides, it’s not tweed.

The debate was more than just policy—it was culture vs copycat. Do we want every high street, every bedroom wall, every bar front to glow with the same plastic LED sameness?

At Smithers, we know the answer: authentic glow beats plastic glow every time.

So yes, Westminster talked neon. The outcome isn’t law yet, but the spotlight is on.

If they can debate neon with a straight face in Parliament, then maybe it’s time your walls got the real thing.

Skip the LED wannabes. If you want authentic neon, handmade the way it’s meant to be, you know where to find it.

The fight for neon is on.