A new painting of St George by Scott Norwood Witts, which depicts the saint as a man of compassion rather than a crusader, is to be unveiled at the Catholic Cathedral of St George, Southwark, to mark the saint’s day next week.

As England celebrates its patron saint today, senior UK government figure Jack Straw acknowledges that St George needs reclaiming from racists and narrow nationalists - echoing the recent Ekklesia report.

Far from being a crusader, St George of Lydda was a defender of the powerless, says Garth Hewitt. He is a figure for Muslims, Jews, Christians - and for the church in Palestine.