I welcome a broad range of travel choices for the public, subject to them being made available at a cost which makes sense. Your claim that travel via LHR represents "less hassle" is sadly very far removed from the truth unless the user-experience there is radically improved.
Yes, such as a new runway and terminal perhaps.
The hub is indeed the icing on the cake. Dealing with air travel growth indigenous to the SE market should be the primary focus of this decision. LGW is well-suited to fulfilment of this need.
On the contrary, a new runway at LGW demonstrates understanding that the bulk of additional growth affecting the SE airports system will derive from short-haul leisure travel, not long thin hub-dependent routes.
This is precisely why the decision needs to be made first on whether the hub idea will be moved forward. Environmentally and financially it makes sense. If the UK does go down that route then its LHR, if not then the decision becomes one of just freeing up capacity.
Ah, back to the old 'trickledown' argument. As Sir Richard Leese so aptly put it: "In my experience, trickledown really does mean a trickle." Just think through - honestly - how much benefit communities like Workington, Burnley, Barnsley, Dudley, Grimsby and Middlesbrough will truly benefit from throwing ten billion pounds of public money at LHR support works. Then consider how they could be transformed beyond recognition with a small fraction of that invested directly on infrastructure in their own immediate area. We need to be honest here
transformed how? What these areas need is jobs and industry. You will attract that from abroad if the access is there. Being able to get to these places easily form China, India and the USA will bring the investment. There will likely never be a direct flight from Humberside to china and I cannot see potential investors getting on the transpennine express and changing at Leeds or slogging over the M62.
This is why the whole Northern Powerhouse idea is being based on upgrading the transport links. Build that and investment will come.
Besides, remember your own earlier assertion that one of the 'benefits' of an expanded LHR will be fewer long-haul flights from other UK airports. The regions would really benefit from that, wouldn't they?
Because they would have access to many more flights from LHR? more than any airport in the north will ever have including Manchester.