Hear, hear Philkby
I have far better things to do with my time than hang around that overcrowded inconvenient slum just off the M4.
Any airline that takes me direct will get my custom in favour of LHR, LGW etc.
We have hardly ever used it without concomitant factors such as hotel stops, luggage missing connections, etc, etc, becoming involved.
Operators and their bean counters may wish us onto their flights that artificially boost the "need" for bigger south east airports, but in the end the market itself will win out - and as a certain market orientated leaderene said - you can't buck it.