Unilever chief executive Paul Polman has called for takeover rules to be tightened since his firm was subject to an approach by Kraft last month

Ministers are expected to resist calls for sweeping new safeguards to protect Britain’s corporate champions from overseas predators.

The business secretary Greg Clark is finalising proposals for how the government should respond to takeover bids for British companies from foreign rivals.

It is thought that Clark’s plan will include measures to protect key British infrastructure projects, such as power stations and electricity networks.

Yet sources said he is likely to stop short of applying a broader “national interest” test to foreign takeover bids.

That would clash with Theresa May’s pledge to reform Britain’s laissez-faire takeover rules. Last year, the prime minister hit out at her predecessor for nearly allowing the “asset stripping” US drugs giant Pfizer to acquire Astra Zeneca.

The issue of foreign takeover