The key figure in the abolition of slavery in the UK was William Wilberforce. A member of Parliament, he dedicated his political career to advocating for social reform and the ending of the slave trade. His efforts culminated in the passage of the Slave Trade Act of 1807, which abolished the transatlantic slave trade in the British Empire. Wilberforce's commitment to humanitarian causes had a lasting impact, inspiring future generations in the fight for equality and human rights.