Councillor claims 'Palestinian' St George has 'no connection to England' and should remind people of war in Gaza

Ed Griffiths
Thu, 23 Apr 2026 05:00:01 +0000

A Nottingham councillor has claimed that "Palestinian" St George has "no connection to England" and should remind people of the war in Gaza.

Kirsty L Jones, a Nottingham People's Alliance councillor for the city, believes St George's Day is not "particularly important", and instead serves as a "reminder of the humanity of people in Palestine" due to the patron saint's connections to the Middle East.

She told GB News: "Although the history is old, so it’s hard to know the entirety the reality of what happened at the time, St George was born in Palestine to a Palestinian mother and a Syrian father, spent most of his life in Syria and then was killed in Palestine.

"It is said that his relics remain in occupied Palestine in The Church of Saint George and Mosque of Al-Khadr (a combined Eastern Orthodox church and Mosque)."

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The Councillor said: "The countries of Portugal, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Georgia, Ukraine, Malta, Ethiopia, and the cities of Moscow and Beirut have claimed George as their patron saint and Saint George is the patron saint of Lebanese Christians, Palestinian Christians and Syrian Christians.

"England was a bit later than some of these other countries or groups, with St George allocated as a patron saint of England in 1552, which makes sense, as the saint had no legendary connection with England, and no specifically localised shrine.

"So, many residents of Nottingham might have connections to countries that have patronised St George, and they may share this in common across many backgrounds.

"With the ongoing genocide in Palestine, it is another reminder of the humanity of people in Palestine too, when celebrating a patron saint with such a connection to the country, it is another signal that the people of Palestine should be able to live in a free democratic state from the river to the sea, rather than being occupied by Israel and having their lives destroyed or cut short."

Ms Jones added: "The rest of the people of Palestine should be celebrated too."

Legend has it that St George rode into the ancient city of Silene, in modern-day Libya, to battle a dragon and protect its citizens.

However, this story dates to several centuries after the death of St George, and some historians believe it originated in ninth-century artworks that may have been a metaphor for the battle between good and evil.

Others believe the story was developed and popularised in the Middle Ages in a compendium of stories about saints' lives, The Golden Legend.

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The Nottingham Councillor also claimed that English and middle-class families are "less likely to open their homes to neighbours" to celebrate festivities like St George's Day.

Ahead of this year's celebrations for England's national day, Ms Jones told the People's Channel: "If people think that English culture is not celebrated, then they should celebrate it.

"Perhaps there are some people who self-identify as English and middle-class who are less likely to open their homes to neighbours and strangers as they have been heavily influenced by the neoliberal individualist culture that has been propagated since the 1980s.

"More collective cultures are more likely to have community-wide celebrations, so people should have access to community spaces as well as being open to connecting with neighbours and strangers to have more visible celebrations."

Research by the Policy Institute at King’s College London showed the UK now has some of the highest levels of neighbourhood trust internationally.

Only one per cent of the UK has a problem with unmarried couples or people of a different religion being their neighbours, the lowest among the 24 nations analysed.

In addition, the data showed that just two per cent of people in the UK say they’d prefer not to have neighbours of a different race, making Britain the most accepting nation.

Speaking on the celebration of England's national day, Ms Jones said: "I don’t particularly think it’s important. But it is nice if communities come together and celebrate any occasion."

She added: "The legends and stories of St George have been told for hundreds of years across many countries and cultures and if people get enjoyment from that, that’s a good thing.

"I think anything that brings people together is a strength. The legend of St George is something that is told in many localities and nations, so can be something that people may identify with."

A huge St George’s Cross, believed to be the largest display of the flag in the UK, has been unveiled in Nottingham to mark the celebration.

The 60-foot-long flag, displayed on Nottingham's Council House in Old Market Square, was unveiled to mark the East Midlands city's annual St George's Day celebrations and is believed to be the biggest St George’s Cross on display in the country and likely the world.

Measuring an enormous 60ft by 26ft, the English flag covers most of the historic building.

Speaking on the addition to the city, the Nottingham councillor said: "It’s just a flag and not particularly anything that has a lot of heritage. I think that there are far more interesting local and national historical events to look back on and reflect upon, particularly with Nottingham’s history as a rebel city."

Nottingham City Council leader Neghat Khan told GB News: "Nottingham’s 60-foot flag has once again been unfurled on the Council House in preparation for St George’s Day.

"It has become a regular fixture in the city, appearing every year to celebrate St George’s Day.

"Nottingham holds the largest St George's flag in the country, and we will continue to fly it with pride on days of national celebration."