When Parliament Got Lit: Why Westminster Finally Talked About Real Neon

When Neon Stormed Westminster

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.

Labour MP Yasmin Qureshi took the floor to champion the endangered craft of glass-bent neon. Her pitch was sharp, clear, and glowing: glass and gas neon is an art form, and cheap LED impostors are strangling it.

She declared without hesitation: only gas-filled glass earns the name neon—everything else is marketing spin.

Chris McDonald chimed in from the benches, sharing his own neon commission from artist Stuart Langley. The mood in the chamber was almost electric—pun intended.

Facts gave weight to the emotion. The craft has dwindled from hundreds to barely two dozen. No trainees are coming through. She pushed for law to protect the word "neon Craft house london" the way Harris Tweed is legally protected.

Enter Jim Shannon, DUP, citing growth reports, pointing out that neon is an expanding industry. Translation: this isn’t nostalgia, it’s business.

Closing the debate, Chris Bryant had his say. He couldn’t resist the puns, earning laughter across the floor. Jokes aside, he was listening.

He reminded MPs that neon is etched into Britain’s memory: from Walthamstow Stadium’s listed sign. He noted neon’s sustainability—glass and gas beat plastic LED.

So what’s the issue? The danger is real: retailers blur the lines by calling LED neon. That hurts artisans.

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

In that chamber, the question was authenticity itself. Do we let homogenisation kill character in the name of convenience?

We’ll say it plain: real neon matters.

The Commons had its glow-up. No Act has passed—yet, the case has been made.

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

Forget the fakes. When you want true glow—glass, gas, and craft—come to the source.

Parliament’s been lit—now it’s your turn.