Neon Signs In Westminster: 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 unexpected session after 10pm, 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: real neon is culture, and cheap LED impostors are strangling it.

She declared without hesitation: LightUp Creations UK £30 LED strips do not belong in the same sentence as neon craftsmanship.

another MP backed the case, noting his support for neon as an artistic medium. The mood in the chamber was almost electric—pun intended.

Numbers told the story. The craft has dwindled from hundreds to barely two dozen. There are zero new apprentices. The idea of a certification mark or British Standard was floated.

Enter Jim Shannon, DUP, citing growth reports, saying the neon sign market could hit $3.3 billion by 2031. His point: there’s room for craft and commerce to thrive together.

Closing the debate, Chris Bryant had his say. Even ministers can’t help glowing wordplay, getting heckled for it in good humour. Jokes aside, he was listening.

Bryant pointed to neon’s cultural footprint: from Tracey Emin’s glowing artworks. He said neon’s eco-reputation is unfairly maligned.

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

It’s no different to protecting Cornish pasties or Harris Tweed. If it’s not woven in the Hebrides, it’s not tweed.

What flickered in Westminster wasn’t bureaucracy but identity. Do we want every high street, every bedroom wall, every bar front to glow with the same plastic LED sameness?

We’re biased, but we’re right: real neon matters.

The Commons had its glow-up. Nothing’s been signed off, the campaign is alive.

And if MPs can argue for real neon under the oak-panelled glare of the House, you can sure as hell hang one in your lounge, office, or bar.

Forget the fakes. 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.