Britain’s first professor of “Black Studies” has said the British Empire did “far more harm” than Hitler’s Germany, and branded “whiteness” a “psychosis”.

Kehinde Andrews, of Birmingham City University’s School of Social Sciences, made the comments during a debate on Labour leadership candidate Lisa Nandy’s proposal to rename Britain’s national honours, which bestow people with post-nominals such as MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire) and OBE (Officer of the Order of the British Empire).

“[I]n the 21st century 60 per cent of British people believe the Empire was a force for good,” Andrews scoffed during his appearance on the show, hosted by Piers Morgan and Susanna Reid.

“This is like saying because the Nazis built motorways we should celebrate them.”

Pressed by Morgan on whether he was genuinely equating the British Empire with the Third Reich, Andrews doubled down: “You’re right. There is no comparison. The British Empire did far more harm to the world for a far more sustained period of time.”

The publicly-funded academic was also disparaging of “whiteness”, deflecting accusations of racism by claiming that “Whiteness is not just for white people, there are also Asian people, black people who purport the psychosis of whiteness.”

The British empire lasted far longer, did more damage and in many ways paved the way the Nazi's and their genocidal ideology. We do no favours to the victims of the Holocaust by pretending otherwise. If we forget the past we are likely to repeat ithttps://t.co/QWphGiYWyc — Kehinde Andrews (@kehinde_andrews) February 3, 2020

In the face of a public backlash for his comments, Andrews took to social media to stand by his position.

“Yes, Whiteness is a psychosis,” he insisted.

“Much respect to [Professor Carol Anderson] for the excellent White Rage. First stop on my reading our for the #PsychosisOfWhiteness book.”

Elsewhere, he added: ‘The British Empire lasted far longer, did more damage and in many ways paved the way the Nazi’s [sic] and their genocidal ideology.

“We do no favours to the victims of the Holocaust by pretending otherwise. If we forget the past we are likely to repeat it .”

On February 7th he appeared to go even further, sharing a tweet from Timothy Kaldas of the Washington D.C.-based Tahrir Institute suggesting that “What [Piers Morgan] can’t forgive Hitler for isn’t the crime itself, crime against man…it’s the crime against the white man, humiliation of the white man & fact he applied to Europe colonialist procedures which until then were reserved for Algeria’s Arabs, India’s coolies & Africa’s blacks”.

What he can't forgive Hitler for isn't the crime itself, crime against man…it's the crime against the white man, humiliation of the white man & fact he applied to Europe colonialist procedures which until then were reserved for Algeria's Arabs, India's coolies & Africa's blacks https://t.co/yO6wdhycmI — Timothy E Kaldas (@tekaldas) February 6, 2020

Follow Jack Montgomery on Twitter: @JackBMontgomery