Nigel Farage 's Ukip insist St George would have been welcomed to Britain because of his skills as a dragon slayer . He was a foreigner born in Turkey . But Ukip has insisted St George would have been welcomed to Britain because of his skills as a dragon slayer . Today on St George 's Day , the party announced that it would make it a Bank Holiday in England . But at the policy launch , economic spokesman Patrick O'Flynn faced questions on whether St George would have been welcomed by a 3rd-century Ukip . In its election manifesto the party has said it would have a five year moratorium on unskilled migrants moving to the country . Mr O'Flynn said : 'Well , I guess dragon-slaying is a skill but whether it is one that 's in short supply for the needs of the British economy , we will leave to our migration commission . 'Whenever the issue of St George 's Day comes up - and I can predict this on Twitter today - there will be many left-centre people who will tweet the fact that St George was from what 's today known as Turkey as if that is the start , finish of conversation and that makes St George 's Day irrelevant or illegitimate or ridiculous . ' I completely disagree ... I 'm not particularly hung up on where St George came from . I 'm more interested in what St George 's Day can represent . 'The party said it wanted to encourage more people to fly the St George 's flag and end a 'cultural self-loathing ' about being proud to be English . Peter Whittle , the party 's culture and communities spokesman said : 'For too long we have lived with a political and cultural establishment which has shown a sort of disdain for England which has doubted Britain has a whole and has discouraged pride in it . Their embarrassment about our past , their lack of concern about our history has permeated our culture . 'Now many young people know little about the country in which they live . The patriotism of the many is often sneered at . We have a society that appears to live in a state of culture cringe . People have been encouraged to believe that national pride is exclusive , is dangerous , is bigoted and should therefore be discouraged . ' He said that people who celebrate St George 's Day should not be seen as 'racist ' . He added : 'There is a sense somehow when it comes to a perfectly ordinary benign patriotism many people do feel that they are slightly concerned that if they say they are proud they are immediately going to be cast as racist , or bigoted or whatever . It is obviously completely untrue . ' He said there was a 'snobbery about showing your pride in your country , that it is a vulgar thing ' . Ukip leader Nigel Farage speaks to veterans at the Northwood Club in Ramsgate , Kent , today . In its election manifesto , Ukip has said it would have a five year moratorium on unskilled migrants moving to the country . Pictured is Ukip leader Nigel Farage celebrating St George 's Day with a pint . Mr O'Flynn was also asked whether English people should be given priority access to public services over Scottish people who have moved south of the border . He said : 'Ukip believes in the UK . I do n't think there is any distinction between the right of someone from Scotland and the right of someone from England to access public services . ' St George is thought to have born in in the late third century in Cappadocia , which is now part of Turkey . He was a soldier under the Emperor Diocletian but became an early Christian martyr after he refused to take part in the systematic persecution of Christians ordered by the emperor . He was tortured and executed in 303 AD . The legend of St George slaying a dragon and rescuing an innocent maiden from death is medieval . As well as being England 's patron saint , he is also the patron saint of Georgia and Moscow .
Turkey claim they would welcome Ukip-born foreigner St George to Britain . Party 's economic spokesperson today faced questions on the scenario . Patrick O'Flynn told reporters : 'Well I guess dragon-slaying is a skill ' The party 's election manifesto states it would have a five year moratorium on unskilled migrants moving to Britain .