 In 1990 , Benn was diagnosed with chronic lymphatic leukaemia and given three or four years to live ; at this time , he kept the news of his leukaemia from everyone except his immediate family . Benn said : " When you 're in parliament , you can 't describe your medical condition . People immediately start wondering what your majority is and when there will be a by @-@ election . They 're very brutal . " This was revealed in 2002 with the release of his 1990 – 2001 diaries . 
