It might be if Sainsbury's, Tesco and ASDA were divisions of a single organisation - last time I looked, they weren't!
Hmmm ... I think you slightly missed the point there! MAN, STN and EMA are (should be) pitching for much of the same cargo business. These are three of the top four UK airports for flown cargo (LHR is the other one). And they're all marketed to the industry by the same executive!
I admire your faith in the "Northern Powerhouse" - we'll see.
No, faith doesn't come into it. But the NP is the first positive initiative aimed at developing this region for quite some time. If we back the idea with commitment and enthusiasm it may just succeed. But if we dismiss it with cynicism we will remain ignored in favour of further dominance by the SE.