text: 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 don'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.
target: Ukip claim they would welcome Turkey-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 .