UK Politics / Reply to Ann (was Re: Is Umbridge a commentary on British govt. ed

[Carol]

Goddlefrood wrote:
<snip> Any 
> party with more than ten percent of seats in the Parliament 
> (it's a preferential voting system that's used, although 
> basically first past the post) has to have a proportionate 
> number of seats in Government. <snip>

Carol responds:

Forgive me for snipping essentially your whole post. (Anyone
interested in the topic, please go upthread.) I can't speak
intelligently on the topic and just want to ask what "first past the
post" means. I'm unfamiliar with the term.

Carol, hopelessly apolitical and American to boot