It is true that no politician, local or national is going to prioritise an airport.
I worked in telecommunications for 27 years, usually for large end-users not on the supply side. I recall a friend who worked for a major hospital group telling me that he could never get funding to replace the 20+ year old telephone system. It was always the medical facilities that needed the money. Eventually, he was able to prove that, due to the failing phone system - two patients had died. He got the money, provided the report remained private. That was in the late 1980s. Consider the situation now?
I agree with the need for the expansion of EGLL and have done so for over 30 years. BUT airports are not going to get discussed and money will have to be squeezed out of a stone.