re the LHR campaign, this really is no different to the campaign that we used here in the 90s to promote R2. "Only Manchester Can Save The North" wasn't the strap line, but it might as well have been. There's oodles of runway capacity in the North and to persuade the public that digging up the Cheshire countryside was necessary meant the case needed to be made that capacity in Liverpool and Leeds wasn't the right sort of capacity or in the right place. This is no different to the LHR campaign of today.
Like all campaigns, there's an element of truth and an element of marketing. It was true in the 90s to say that certain markets and routes would only work from MAN in the North just as it's true to say today that on a national level there are routes that are only commercially viable form LHR.
It's also true to say that the economic value of a UK route into LHR is significant at the 'regional end' of the route. MAN-LHR is a large contributor of GVA in the North West because of it's premium mix and use by overseas visitors. The same thing is emerging on LBA-LHR too. But what about Liverpool, Teesside, Blackpool etc - they are effectively denied access. Is that useful for attracting inward investment and stimulating their economies ?
To me at least, it's not an 'either / or' question. Northern cities should have fast and regular access into LHR, either by air or rail. This will contribute to economic activity and over time increase the propensity to fly across the North of England. MAN will benefit from a more prosperous and economically active North as a result.