LONDON, Feb. 14 (Xinhua) -- British foreign secretary Boris Johnson's message Wednesday to unite both sides in Britain's Brexit tug-of-war will only divide the country, Labour's Keir Starmer said.

Johnson delivered the first of six keynote speeches aimed at mapping out the government's co-called Road to Brexit.

The aim of prime minister Theresa May is to halt the warring factions on both the remain and leave sides, and pull together as Britain prepares to leave the European Union after more than 40 years as a member.

FROM OPPOSITION

Criticism of Johnson's speech at the Policy Exchange in Central London was swift.

Starmer, Labour's Shadow Brexit Secretary, said the speech underlined the government's real intentions, a Brexit of deregulation, where rights and protections are casually cast aside and where the benefits of the Single Market and the Customs Union are ignored.

Starmer said: "Instead of building the consensus we need, the Government's approach will only further divide the country and put jobs, rights and living standards at risk."

Labour MP Chuka Umunna, a leading supporter of Open Britain supporter, described Johnson's speech as an "astonishing exercise in hypocrisy".

Umunna said: "His plan would see Britain sever trade ties with our largest trading partner, weaken protections for workers, consumers and the environment, and jeopardise the Good Friday agreement in Northern Ireland. The scaremongering, mistruths, lack of detail and utter disregard for the economic realities of Brexit were an alarming throwback to the referendum campaign. More than 18 months since the referendum, this was simply more of the same project fantasy."

MP Tom Brake, Brexit spokesperson for the minority Liberal Democrats, described Johnson as "completely deluded".

Brake said: "This speech wasn't about the most important issue facing our country right now, this was about Boris' ambitions to become the next prime minister.

"The lack of detail and understanding shown in this back of a fag packet speech would be astounding, if we didn't already know that the government has no clue and no plan. We are still completely in the dark on the government's plan to tackle issues such as the Northern Ireland border which are central to his brief as foreign secretary and crucial to the future of our nation."

FROM OTHERS

Frances O'Grady, general secretary of Britain's main trade union organisation, the TUC, said: "People have learned not to trust Boris Johnson. Instead of calming the worries of working people, he fuelled fears that he believes essential workplace rights are intolerable. When he says 'regulatory divergence' he means scrapping hard-won rights to paid holidays, equal pay and safety at work. And if that's his vision, he's never going to unite the nation behind it.

Reaction from the Confederation of British Industry, the CBI, was more measured.

CBI Director of Campaigns, John Foster, said: "Businesses are 100 percent committed to making a success of Brexit, and echo calls to consign the labels of Leave and Remain to the past. Evidence, not ideology, should guide the UK's thinking on a close future relationship with the EU.

"Businesses aren't looking for a bonfire of regulation, quite the opposite, our aerospace, automotive and chemical sectors, to name a few, all have highly integrated European supply chains that benefit from consistent regulation. And securing alignment of data rules is vital to protect the thousands of innovative businesses that make up the UK's 240 billion pound data economy."

"EU nationals make a valuable contribution to our economy and society, paying taxes that fund vital public services. Any new immigration system must meet public concern and desire for greater control as well the needs of the economy. It should include a preferential route for EU citizens -- one that doesn't burden small businesses.

"Business urges both sets of negotiators to seek solutions that will protect jobs and prosperity on both sides of the Channel."