Easyjet were once a strong player at East Midlands and pulled the plug so the writing could well be on the wall for Stansted.
I have to say I am somewhat surprised with Southend's appeal over Stansted. Easyjet can only operate 18 hours a day with 3 aircraft and 17.5 hours a day with all other aircraft based at Southend due to night restrictions. Southend has no public transport links for the first departures and last arrivals of the day which is affecting passenger numbers and Southend’s catchment area is even worse than Stansted. When trains are available the travel time to Liverpool St is even longer so Easyjet must have an exceptional deal at Southend to make it worth while.