I am certain that VS want more LHR slots but there are other ways of getting them than buying bmi. Particularly as in order to preserve those slots bmi would have to go on operating on a large scale at LHR for many years before VS could possible use them.
VS are of course always in the market for new slots however they might come up, and there may well be easier ways of obtaining small numbers of slots - but BMI own
lots of slots, and they are (at least sporadically) talking to Virgin. I'm not sure that BMI would have to continue operating under its own identity for a period before the slots to passed to Virgin, but I don't doubt that there would be one hell of a bunfight once any such plans were announced!
Don't get me wrong; I'm not advocating a takeover of BMI by Virgin. I personally think it would be disastrous for much of BMI, but I am speculating that it is only along the lines I mentioned in my first post that Virgin would consider any significant financial involvement with BMI. The financial risks of any other format are probably too great - and Virgin is not in this business to lose money. It will be interesting to see what actually transpires...