Its All About The Cost ...
Skipness - Further to all the excellent points on this topic made by other posters, I must remind you that spending ANOTHER £6,000,000,000 of public funds on a London infrastructure project offering very questionable levels of payback would be absolutely toxic for the regions. And with the LHR proposals the taxpayer gets to underwrite potentially three-times that sum on top as well. That money can only be spent once (as you well know). Commitment of large-scale public infrastructure investment into the regions is at least two decades overdue already. Another six billion plus thrown at LHR now (and how much for 'Crossrail 2'?) would push back regional investment priorities even longer. We can all think of vital neglected infrastructure needs which would hugely benefit this region (including Liverpool). Far more than 3x daily A319's flying LPL-LHR. Until they could be quietly dropped as 'uneconomic to run' after a decent period.
We don't back reckless public spending on "our one hub" because we DO instead back long overdue direct investment in OUR roads, railways, runways and ports. "Our one hub" dominated by a carrier which doesn't give a fig about the business needs of the regions. Competing with carriers which provide direct employment and connectivity from OUR hub solution here at MAN. We are not being unpatriotic by opposing economically doubtful public spending on LHR. We are actually being patriotic by promoting the far greater value for public money which the regions can deliver to 'UK plc' by finally addressing pressing infrastructure needs right here.