Barack Obama’s former chief of staff Rahm Emanuel is back in the running to become the next Mayor of Chicago.

Mr Emanuel, the son of an Irgun fighter, confirmed his interest in succeeding long-time Mayor Richard Daley in the post last October, when he left Washington Dc to return to his home city.

However his candidacy has been beset by queries over whether he qualifies as a resident, having lived outside the city, and earlier this week a court ruled that his name should be taken off the ballot.

Mr Emanuel vowed to appeal and has now been successful in doing so, as the Illinois Supreme Court overruled the earlier ban.

Advance voting for the election, which takes place on February 22, begins next week.

Polls suggest that the former Bill Clinton aide is a frontrunner in the hotly-contested race.