Some of these services that have been pulled, have been over booked in the past. If that has not produced the right yield, then it is the airlines pricing structure that has been wrong.
As for LHR hubbing. Knowledgable Mancunians will know, whenever BA has ANY wiff of any minor hic-cup in their system the first things they do is CANCEL all their domestics. Thus leaving all their regional pax stranded. This simply does not happen with KLM. Luftie etc........and that is why many, esp me !! would not dream of risking the LHR Shuttles.