Each airline has their own rules. Some airlines (e.g. Ryanair) specifically state that they will NOT accept ANY expired document as evidence of ID. Others might do so. The only way to find out what is acceptable is to check the airline's website (or phone them up).
The main airlines operating scheduled services between Manchester and London are as follows:
VLM (from London City)
BA, Jet2 and Zoom (all from Gatwick)
BMI & BA (both from Heathrow)
Air Berlin and Eastern Airways (both from Stansted).
Chris