Posted by Smithers | 6-Minute Read | 🔥 Craft, Culture & Cold Truths
🎤 Westminster’s Unexpected Mic Drop
Back in May, while most of the UK was distracted by Love Island reruns and sunburns from supermarket prosecco, something surprisingly heartfelt happened in the halls of power: Parliament actually debated neon signs.
Yes, real neon — the kind made from glass and gas, not Amazon clickbait. And no, it wasn’t an art school TikTok trend or a fringe hobbyist rant. It was a genuine, impassioned plea to save a dying British craft, led by Yasmin Qureshi MP, who did what few politicians dare to: she spoke up for the makers.
🛠️ Gas, Glass, and the Last 27 Neon Benders
Qureshi pulled no punches. Here’s the reality she laid bare:
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There are just 27 full-time neon glass benders left in the UK. Fewer than the number of contestants on a single season of Love Island.
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Real neon is being choked out by cheap LED knock-offs—£20 silicone tubes that call themselves "neon" but are about as real as a microwave croissant.
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And Google? It’s part of the problem. Search for “neon sign” and you’ll drown in a sea of SEO-boosted LED tapeworms. Plastic, mass-produced, algorithm-approved clutter.
📎 Here’s the original debate in r/ukpolitics →
🎨 And the maker community’s take in r/NeonSigns →
🤖 The LED Invasion Isn’t Just Bright — It’s Blinding
Let’s be clear: the issue isn’t just about tech vs. tradition.
It’s about how real craft has been swallowed by cheap, optimised sameness. Real neon isn’t just harder to make — it’s harder to find. The internet buries it beneath factories churning out fake “neon” signs with fonts you’d expect on a hen night invite.
At Smithers, we’ve felt the shift too. We work with traditional gas-filled glass. No shortcuts. No mass production. But the digital space? It’s not made for makers anymore. It’s made for drop-shippers and keyword junkies.
🧑⚖️ What Parliament Could Do (But Might Not)
In her speech, Qureshi asked for:
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A legal definition of neon, like how Champagne must come from Champagne
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A British Standard or certification process
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Actual public funding for training apprentices
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And a serious look at regulating “neon” as a protected term in advertising
What she got?
A few bad puns. A Bob Marley quote. Some “we value our craftspeople” filler. No regulation. No clear commitment. No timeline. Business as usual.
So while it’s nice that someone lit a symbolic match, it’s clear the system still prefers the glow of mass production.
🎯 Why This Still Matters
This isn't just about neon. It's about how heritage craft, design culture, and genuine skill are disappearing under a tidal wave of content, clicks, and convenience.
Real neon is art + science + risk — bent by hand, filled with noble gas, lit by voltage and vision. When it’s gone, it’s gone. And we’ll be left with glowing plastic that never fades, never fails, and somehow never feels right.
The lights may still be on — but it’s getting harder to find the switch.
📘 Read the Full Story
For the full dive into this story from Parliament to artisans—how neon went from high art to endangered craft—and why this debate matters:
Read the full article here on Smithers.