In a heated segment from Good Morning Britain (originally broadcast in February 2020), academic Kehinde Andrews clashed with hosts Piers Morgan and Susanna Reid, as well as conservative commentator Toby Young, over the legacy of the British Empire.
The debate was sparked by Labour MP Lisa Nandy's suggestion that the word "Empire" should be removed from the British honours system (OBE, MBE) to make it more inclusive. What followed was a confrontation that went viral for its raw intensity and controversial claims.
The Debate: Key Arguments
1. The "Psychosis" of Whiteness The most explosive moment of the clip comes when Dr. Kehinde Andrews, a Professor of Black Studies, argues that the continued celebration of the British Empire is irrational. He states:
"Whiteness is a psychosis. You can't have a reasonable discussion... because this is the kind of thing you run into."
When challenged by a shocked Susanna Reid and Piers Morgan—who ask if he is calling all white people "psychotic"—Andrews clarifies that he is attacking the ideology of whiteness, not individuals. He argues that it is "deluded" and "irrational" for 60% of British people to believe the Empire was a force for good given its history of "rape, murder, torture, and famine."
2. The Nazi Comparison Andrews further inflames the panel by drawing a direct comparison between the British Empire and Nazi Germany. He argues that the Empire:
Did not truly abolish slavery in practice until decades after 1807.
Invented the "logic of race" and concentration camps.
Paved the way for Nazi ideology.
He equates celebrating the Empire because of its infrastructure to saying, "The Nazis built motorways, so we should celebrate them."
3. The Defense of Empire Toby Young and Piers Morgan push back aggressively. Young argues that the British Empire was essential in defeating Nazi Germany, stating that without the Empire’s resources, Britain could not have stood alone in 1940. He calls Andrews' dismissal of this "psychotic" and accuses him of being the unreasonable one.
Morgan labels Andrews' "psychosis" comment as "racist" and "offensive," attempting to shut down the validity of his academic theory by framing it as a slur against white people.
Reactions and Aftermath
The clip generated a polarized firestorm across social media and the British press.
Accusations of Racism: Conservative outlets and viewers largely sided with Morgan and Young. The Daily Mail and The Sun ran headlines focusing on Morgan's accusation that Andrews was being racist against white people. Viewers on Twitter (now X) expressed outrage, calling Andrews "anti-British" and "disrespectful" to war veterans—a sentiment amplified because Andrews had previously appeared on the show calling the RAF bombing of Nazi Germany a "war crime."
Support for Historical Revision: Conversely, many anti-racist activists and younger viewers praised Andrews for refusing to sugarcoat colonial history on national television. His supporters argued that Morgan and Young proved his point about "psychosis" by reacting with fragility and refusing to engage with the factual list of atrocities (famine, torture) Andrews presented.
Academic Context: The term "Psychosis of Whiteness" wasn't just a throwaway insult; it is a central thesis of Andrews' academic work. In 2023, he released a book titled The Psychosis of Whiteness, which expands on the argument made in this clip: that Western society hallucinates a "benevolent" version of history to avoid facing the reality of systemic racism.
The Bottom Line
This clip remains one of the most cited examples of the cultural disconnect regarding British history. For one side, the Empire is a source of pride and military victory; for the other, it is a crime against humanity that Britain has pathologically refused to acknowledge.
Sources:
Good Morning Britain Official Clip (Feb 3, 2020)
The Irish Post:
"British Empire did more damage than the Nazis" claims Professor during GMB debate Penguin Books:
The Psychosis of Whiteness by Kehinde Andrews
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