” … MPs have long been criticised for ‘marking their own homework’ by only allowing a watchdog who they appoint to police their affairs.

Mr Flynn, the MP for Newport West asked Commons Leader Chris Grayling for a debate on whether “Parliament is slipping back into its bad old ways that led to the expenses scandal?”

He said: “In recent cases involving Malcolm Rifkind, Jack Straw, Tim Yeo and Lord Blencathra, very lenient decisions were made by bodies in this House but very harsh decisions were taken by independent voices outside, including Ofcom.”

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/12088034/Stop-us-marking-our-own-homework-MPs-tell-minister-after-Jack-Straw-and-Malcolm-Rifkind-rulings.html “Stop us marking our own homework

Bit like a Monitoring Officer, paid by a council, adjudicating on his or her own councillors and officers … and being dependent on them for their jobs …