BBC Sounds, Music, Radio, podcasts.

Hello, I'm Alyssa McCarthy.

Thanks for downloading the yesterday in Parliament podcast.

On Tuesday the 9th of September, with more than two months to go until the Chancellor's next budget,

there were plenty of questions for Rachel Reeves about what might be in her plans.

The date for the budget has been set for November the 26th.

Treasury brains are busy doing the hard maths about what are predicted to be some tricky

choices.

But in the Commons, Rachel Reeves seemed chipper.

Thank you, Mr Speaker.

I'm sorry. I'm sorry.

It wasn't entirely clear what had triggered the Chancellor's giggles,

but Conservatives reckoned there's little to be cheerful about

when it comes to the economy.

Speaking to the BBC on Monday night,

the party's leader, Kemi Badenock, said she was really worried that the UK might be forced to seek a 1976-style bailout from the International Monetary Fund.

Back in the era of platform shoes and flared trousers, the then Labour government had to ask for an emergency loan due to high borrowing costs.

At Treasury Questions in the Commons, another Conservative Rebecca Paul, sounded alarmed.

This year, interest on debt is expected to total £111 billion.

This is 8.3% of total public spending.

What she asked was the government doing to rebuild confidence and...

How confident is she that we won't be reliving the worst bits of the 70s again?

...