The Tories are accused of "contempt" for the poor after refusing to sack a candidate who said people on Benefits Street should be "put down".
Boris Johnson's welfare chief refused calls to axe Francesca O'Brien over vile comments she made in 2014 - despite a massive backlash.
Work and Pensions Secretary Therese Coffey said it will be "for the people of Gower", not Conservative Party chiefs, to decide if Ms O'Brien becomes an MP.
Tory sources confirmed her thinking reflected that within the party.
Ms O’Brien, who is standing in the Welsh marginal seat in the general election , made the comments on Facebook in 2014. She said: “Benefit Street..anyone else watching this?? Wow, these people are unreal!!!” In response to a friend, she added: “My blood is boiling, these people need putting down.”
Yet Ms Coffey refused to back dropping Ms O'Brien as a candidate today when she was grilled by BBC Radio 4's Today programme.
She said the comments were "clearly wrong" and "not ones with which I would associate myself in any way" but added: "She has apologised I’ve been told. That is important."
Ms Coffey added: "I think that will be a decision for the people of Gower to make the choice on who they want to be their next Member of Parliament."
Asked a second time if she was "happy" for Ms O'Brien to be a candidate the DWP chief replied: "I think it’s a matter for the people of Gower on whether they want her to be their next MP.
"And they will have that choice next month."
Labour chairman Ian Lavery unleashed an instant attack on Ms Coffey. He said: "Removing a candidate who used such vile language about people on benefits should be a no brainer.
“The cuts to benefits and Universal Credit programme that Thérèse Coffey and her party are responsible for have forced people into poverty.
“It is shameful that Boris Johnson is allowing Francesca O’Brien to stand for his party in Gower. This reveals the Conservatives’ contempt for the less well off.”
Ms O'Brien made the comment at the time the controversial show aired on Channel 4.
O’Brien also apparently endorsed a friend’s suggestion for “twat a tramp Tuesday” to “take your batts [sic] to the streets”.
The candidate apologised, telling The Guardian: “These comments were made off the cuff, a number of years ago. However, I accept that my use of language was unacceptable and I would like to apologise for any upset I have caused.”
But the comments could be decisive in Gower, which the Tories won by just 27 votes in 2015 before losing by 3,269 votes in 2017 to Labour's Tonia Antoniazzi.
Ms Antoniazzi told the Mirror last night: “Poverty, and particularly child poverty, has rocketed because of Tory austerity.
"It shows a jarring lack of empathy for those who maybe haven’t been afforded the luxury of growing up in a nice house, having a private education and working for the family business – there is no self-awareness.
"I deal with cases from people who, through no fault of their own, claim benefits. How could they expect any help from someone who doesn’t think they should be given this support?”
