Rogue

In 16th Century Britain the fabulously wealthy set up charities to support those down on their luck so long as they weren't rogues.

In 20th Century Britain rogues were able to redeem themselves if they protected children by stomping innocent reptiles to death.

In 21st Century Britain a rogue can lie to the electorate to win a referendum by a pitifully small sliver of a margin, become leader of the government and then instruct the monarch to gag the elected representatives of that same electorate in the name of democracy.

Have I stepped into a time machine travelling backwards at high speed?

And yes, I was so very fond of this book as a small child. It had a lot to do with the red dungarees I suspect.