Labour Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham warns against “leveling down” London as tens of thousands of jobs are set to be axed across Whitehall, according to reporting shared by the Evening Standard and Yahoo UK News. Burnham’s message centres on how devolution should work, arguing that “real devolution” requires backing local councils to grow rather than hollowing out London. The coverage cites concerns that proposed public-sector reductions could disproportionately affect London’s capacity and workforce, with implications for services and local economic activity. It also quotes Westminster City Council leader Cllr Paul Swaddle, who echoes Burnham’s position by saying devolution should support councils to expand rather than reduce their resources. The reports frame the warnings in the context of government restructuring and staffing changes, but do not provide additional detail on the specific number of posts or the timetable beyond describing the scale as “tens of thousands” and characterising the job cuts as imminent or planned. Overall, the sources agree on Burnham’s stance and on the existence of large-scale job reductions in Whitehall.