ABSTRACT
In Hattersley the extent to which Local Exchange Trading Schemes (LETS) resonated as a policy for inner city regeneration could be observed. It will be recalled that Hattersley LETS was set up by members of Manchester LETS who wanted something more local, and involving people more like 'them'. The frames LETS Development Agency (LEDA) produced resonated with preoccupations of the local state. LEDA had more success in working in the field of mental health due to its claims for empowerment through the promotion of alternatives to work. For many urban policy professionals, the key issue that kept the networks small was that poor people who joined LETS might have lost scarce, fully spendable pounds if they earned LETS credits, of limited spendability. The Resource Mobilisation Theory (RMT) approach shows that LEDA and LETSGo were not adroit at navigating their way through their political opportunity structure.
