The security bill for Tony Blair to attend political events could be met by taxpayers instead of Labour, the chair of the party's governing body has said.
Labour - which has an operating deficit of £14.5m - receives a grant to cover policing at its annual conference.
However, it must dip into its own budget for security at other times.
The prime minister's status meant costs were "formidable" so a change in procedure was being considered, Sir Jeremy Beecham told Guardian Unlimited.
"If the prime minister attends [events], naturally there is a lot of security and there is no funding," he said.
"That makes a big difference in the running of party events.
"I think it might be something we might ask for," he said, referring to submissions being prepared for Sir Hayden Phillips, who was appointed by Mr Blair to review political funding.
Donations 'disappear'
Last year the Home Office gave Labour £3.69m under Section 48 of the Police Act 1996, which allows for extra payments to safeguard national security.
But financial contributions to the party, which would cover other security matters, had "disappeared since all the publicity" over the investigation into whether people had been offered honours in return for donations, Sir Jeremy said.
"It is not so much the 'cash-for-peerages' as the attention bestowed by sections of media on anybody who gives money to the party.
"It is an atmosphere that is not conducive to people making significant donations, however sympathetic they might be."
A Labour spokeswoman said its submission to Sir Hayden was "work in progress, with nothing having formally been decided".
It would be put before the NEC in September and then sent to the annual conference for approval, she added.
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