The Tameside Radio presenter provides a measured personal response to the developments which have dominated the news agenda lately.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's lectern has been hitting the headlines this week. Not for its shape or design, or the fact he can't be seen above it, as he forgot to stand on a box. No, it's the blunt message adorning it.

The three word slogan "Stop The Boats" attracted opprobrium from many on social media, with reactions ranging from "dystopian" to "stay in France...save lives". It's been compared to the stark messages used during the pandemic during Downing Street press briefings, and left a nasty taste in my mouth, I'll be honest. In fact, when I first saw the photo on Twitter, I thought it might be photoshopped. Sadly, that's not the case.

If it looks like dog whistle politics and feels like dog whistle politics, it most likely is dog whistle politics. It feels that many issues have now been boiled down to a three word slogan these days, and the devil is definitely not in the detail. "Get Brexit Done" comes to mind, along with the irksome "Taking Back Control".

Keir Starmer regretfully tried to repurpose this phrase to mean something else recently. It reminded me of buying a car from a scrapyard, hairdrying out a couple of the dents in the bonet, and attempting to hit the road pretending it's a brand new vehicle. Frankly, I'd like to hear a lot more level-headed debate, and less use of catchphrases that throw red meat to the click bait algorithms of the tabloid press.

How about we cheer ourselves up in these bleak times, and come up with some more cheerful three word slogans that could adorn Government lecterns at future briefings? National mottos we could all get behind. In the spirit of keeping things pithy, I'll stick to three suggestions, as I know you haven't got all day.

Be more kind - now, it's clearly not always going to be possible to be kind. Middle lane drivers on the M60, people who put their feet on the seats on the train, folk who stand in WH Smith and go through the newspapers without buying one (that's what the library is for)...I could go on, but I won't. Those folk deserve a good old-fashioned passive aggressive eye roll. See also faffers at the petrol station, Windows Updates, and people who use their phone at the cinema. Otherwise, it's nice to be nice!

One lovely story I read this week featured a lonely man from Leeds who posted on a Facebook group appealing for someone to go to gigs with or have a weekend pint with, as many of his friends are busy in relationships and he feels lonely when he's not at work. He was inundated with over 200 offers of friendship, and this has restored my faith in kindness as a life mantra.

Worry slightly less - I'm in the middle of a great book at the moment by Anna Barnes, full of tips and tricks to be a bit more zen & worry less about what might happen. I'm terrible for it, and it's no way to live worrying about ifs and maybes. Life has enough complications as it is.

It's not always possible, but try to live in the moment more, embrace each day as it comes, and take joy in the little things. This can be a walk in the park, a nice cup of tea first thing in the morning, or admiring a nice sunset whilst you're putting the bins out. Also, if you read that last bit with a furrowed brow, try to be a bit less cynical. I'm working on that too!

Refugees are welcome - Not as lighthearted this one, but wouldn't it be a nicer message that we're a welcoming country rather than demonising those who are fleeing persecution? Or, to put it a different way, target the people traffickers who are organising the smuggling operations in entirely unsuitable vessels, and come down on them like a ton of bricks. Not ordinary families who are trying to start a new life. It's often dinghies, rather than boats, that refugees are packed onto.

The Government has suggested all sorts of outlandish ways to solve the problem, but nothing has worked. We need a more grown-up discussion that takes out the rhetoric and comes up with practical solutions. I've always thought of this country as welcoming, but recent developments have made me question that. It sometimes feels as though we're living through a George Orwell novel. I sort of miss the time when Theresa May dancing to Abba was considered embarrassing.

You can listen to Alex every weekday from 7am to 11am and on Saturdays from 3pm to 6pm, on Tameside Radio 103.6FM. 

Alex also has a regular movie column where he gives his verdict on the latest films he's been to see. Read his latest one here.