Luke 'Ming' Flanagan has appeared on a list of "the 12 most embarrassing members of the European Parliament", and is not pleased with his inclusion.

The Business Insider UK list, written by Stefano Pozzebon, features the Irish MEP alongside a selection of eleven others, including politicians described as anti-immigrant activists and Holocaust deniers. 

In the introduction to the piece, the author writes that "MEPs are often hardcore activists within their parties. They have views that please their comrades, but they would be regarded as crazy by ordinary voters. Let's meet the least coherent of them."

Under Luke Flanagan's entry on the list, the author writes that the MEP "has a 'Ming the Merciless' beard and has taken a lot of drugs."

Elaborating on the latter point, Pozzebon writes that Flanagan is "a well known pro-cannabis advocate... in 2001 he sent a marijuana cigarette to every member of the Irish parliament to promote legalisation. He has several drug convictions."

The Irish MEP has taken to Twitter to address the writer of the piece:

@StePozzebon Appalling you would equate holocaust deniers with someone who wishes to see an end to prohibition on drugs.Time you got help.

— Ming The Sinister (@lukeming) December 16, 2014

In response, Mr Pozzebon explained Flanagan's inclusion:

@lukeming the fact that you are in the same article does not make you all the same i believe… this is a list, not a compare and contrast

— Stefano Pozzebon (@StePozzebon) December 16, 2014