Glenn Milne is no longer an Insiders panellist, that much is clear. But as to his future at News Limited, well let’s just say we’re waiting to see what happens when the columnist returns from the naughty corner.

The man has endured a horror week since his column in The Australian last Monday was pulled from the online version of the paper for containing unverified claims about prime minister Julia Gillard.

Milne has since been axed from his plum slot on ABC’s Insiders, one of the few areas where he was able to extend his reach beyond the commentariat of Holt Street.

And the backlash could only be getting started. Milne is absent from the national broadsheet today, with no word as to his future at News Limited. On his bio Milne is promoted as having a “weekly political column in The Australian”. However it seems “weekly” hasn’t been the case for some time.

Chris Mitchell, editor-in-chief of The Australian, told The Power Index this morning that Milne “did not have a weekly column” at the paper and that he alternates with stablemate Chris Kenney. Mitchell declined to be drawn on Milne’s future at the paper.

ABC News head of policy Alan Sunderland confirmed on the weekend that Milne had been dumped ahead of his slated appearance on yesterday’s Insiders. Sunderland said Milne had been informed by executive producer Kellie Mayo last Thursday the ABC “wouldn’t use him this week and we probably won’t be using him again”.

Sunderland also said there were other factors in the dumping of Milne: “The issue this week played a part, but there were also other issues in the past that I don’t want to go into,” he told The Sunday Age.

The Power Index understands a recent column by Milne on the The Drum regarding Tony Abbott’s chief-of staff Peta Credlin may have helped lead to his demise at Insiders. In the piece, Milne published allegations of supposed travel rorts by Credlin, despite her issuing vehement denials. Again the column was removed.

*Read the rest of this story at The Power Index