“The United Kingdom was the first country in the world to abolish slavery.” — Andy Burnham. Our verdict: Partly True.
Andy Burnham made the statement in a Guardian article published on 30 October 2026, about calls for a formal apology for Britain's role in the slave trade.
Our verdict
Partly True
Andy Burnham said the UK led the world in abolishing slavery. The UK did pass a law in 1833 that ended slavery in its colonies from 1 August 1834, but we found no evidence to confirm it was the first country in the world to do so.
What we found
The UK Parliament passed the Slavery Abolition Act in August 1833, and it came into force on 1 August 1834, abolishing slavery throughout the British colonies. This is confirmed by The Gazette, the National Archives, legislation.gov.uk and the Irish Statute Book. So the part of the claim about the UK abolishing slavery is accurate. However, the claim that the UK was the first country in the world to do so cannot be confirmed. We found no evidence in our research comparing the UK's abolition date with those of other sovereign states. Because one part of the claim is supported and the other is unproven, we rate the claim partly true.
The evidence
4 of 5 sources support the claim; none contradict it.
- Background
Andy Burnham said 'We led the world in abolishing slavery' in a Guardian article published on 30 October 2026. [1]
- Supports the claim
The Slavery Abolition Act 1833 received Royal Assent on 28 August 1833 and came into force on 1 August 1834. [2]
- Supports the claim
The UK Parliament passed the Slavery Abolition Act in August 1833, which took effect on 1 August 1834, abolishing slavery throughout the British colonies. [3]
- Supports the claim
The Slavery Abolition Act 1833 legally emancipated all slaves in British colonies effective 1 August 1834, abolishing slavery throughout the British Dominions. [4]
- Supports the claim
The UK Parliament enacted the Slavery Abolition Act 1833, which abolished slavery throughout the British Empire effective 1 August 1834. [5]
What we could not confirm
- Whether the UK was the first country in the world to abolish slavery. We did not find evidence comparing the UK's abolition date with those of other sovereign states, such as Haiti in 1804 or France in 1794.
How we checked
We looked at official records about the Slavery Abolition Act 1833, including The Gazette, the National Archives, legislation.gov.uk and the Irish Statute Book, and at the Guardian article where the claim was made. We did not find any evidence comparing the UK's abolition date with those of other countries. We reviewed 5 relevant sources.
Sources
- [1]www.theguardian.com · Andy Burnham open to calls for formal apology for Britain's role in slave trade · October 30, 2026
- [2]thegazette.co.uk · Black History Month and The Gazette
- [3]nationalarchives.gov.uk · The 1833 Abolition of Slavery Act and compensation claims: Collection highlights
- [4]legislation.gov.uk · Slavery Abolition Act 1833 (repealed 19.11.1998)
- [5]irishstatutebook.ie · Slavery Abolition Act, 1833, Section 64 · July 31, 1833
- [6]Photo: Prime Minister's Office / Wikimedia Commons, OGL 3
Have evidence we missed?
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