ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on the capacity of social movement organisations arising from Local Exchange Trading Schemes (LETS) as a social movement sector to widen usage of LETS out of its primary constitutive social networks through persuading institutional actors, local elites, and businesses of the benefits of LETS, beyond those claimed as a social movement. The next task is to move from the Resource Mobilisation Theory (RMT) paradigm to an analysis of LEDA and LETSGo's interaction with their political opportunity structure, using insights from the 'Political Process' model. LETSGo articulated primarily on business development, while LEDA focused on developing new LETS, mainly in areas where it could act as a policy for local economic development. The chpater investigates LETS Development Agency (LEDA) and LETSGo's work with businesses, and their engagement with environmental initiatives in Manchester such as Local Agenda 21 and Global Forum.
