Expressflight,
Being so pro-Southend you are missing the point that GROUNDHOG makes and indeed I have made in the past.
The west country needs a west London airport, failing that, bearing in mind that NQY is to the south-west, then a south London airport, failing both of those then an airport to the north of London, failing all three of those then to the north-east of London and the last thing the west country needs is an airport east of London.
Never mind travelling time once one gets on the ground, what's the route distance NQY/LHR, NQY/LGW, even NQY/LTN compared to NQY/SEN then there is the mental thing "we just passed LHR 20 minutes ago and now we have to go all the way back again".
SEN has it's markets but the west country ain't one of them, in this scenario MAN makes for a better London alternative than SEN!