2013, Shearer announced his resignation as leader of the Labour Party. Cunliffe was expected to make another bid for the leadership but did not confirm his candidacy immediately. Victoria University of Wellington's iPredict online predictions market showed the probability of Cunliffe becoming the next leader of the Labour Party at 66%, compared to under 26% support for Shearer's deputy Grant Robertson; social development spokesperson Jacinda Ardern polled at 5%, and list MP Andrew Little was on 2%. Cunliffe formally entered the 2013 New Zealand Labour Party leadership election during a press conference in his New Lynn electorate office His announcement came in the wake of a ONE News Colmar Brunton poll released by the current affair program Q+A which showed Cunliffe winning the support of 29% of the eligible voters asked, and 32% of those polled who support Labour. Challengers Shane Jones and Grant Robertson were on 11% and 10%, respectively. After the first public Labour Party leadership selection process in New Zealand history, Cunliffe was elected leader on 15 September 2013. He won with the support of 32% of the Labour Party caucus, 60% of Labour Party members, and 70% of affiliated unions. Leader of the Opposition (2013–2014) Cunliffe received strong backing from the party's grassroots membership, although his leadership bid was supported by only one-third of the caucus. Cunliffe's leadership was opposed by many Labour MPs; several of his colleagues came to see him as "divisive, ambitious, self-absorbed and self-confident to a messianic level". He was described as a "polarising" politician, however his election as leader resulting in an initial increase in support for Labour; it rose to 37% in opinion polls. In a speech to a women's symposium in July 2014, Cunliffe stated, "I am sorry for being a man". He was commenting on domestic violence against women by men. His apology was regarded as insensitive, with Prime Minister John Key criticising the remark as "a bit insulting to imply that all men are abusive". With little time to make the structural changes needed to build a proper campaign and a party marked by continued infighting, Labour performed poorly in the public opinion polls during the run-up to the 2014 general election. It was, as Cunliffe was to say later, "the craziest and in some ways the most unfortunate campaign in recorded memory". 2014 general election Labour formally launched its campaign for 2014 general election in Auckland