It has always been the case. Oppositions at this stage of the electoral cycle lay themselves open to accusations of having no policies, but that is better than giving their policies away. Manifestos are what count, and yes, I do know governments selectively forget them once in power, sadly, but on the other hand many things in the manifestos are made to happen, for good or ill.
It is not really the issue of actual policies, its more to do with 'big ideas'. Labour needs to come up with the 'big ideas' that identify the ground on which the next election should be fought.
The Tories are past masters at this, e.g. coming up with a big idea on how to provide for realistic/safe migration to the UK is something that is not going away, and the Tories proposed Illegal Immigration Act is one they are already embarked upon and as they are the current Government they are in a position to
set the scene. To the Tories 'power brokers' it really doesn't matter if the Act works or not, it stokes the fires and keeps the engine running. To counteract this Labour needs to identify their own 'big ideas', whether on immigration or climate change or energy/water control etc. Inflation has to be something the Tories
don't want to fight on, because its happened on their watch, but Labour have to come up with ideas on inflation busting/protections/diffusion, etc, going forward, not specific policies, but ideas for the future.
Starmer is already taking a gamble on his 'make Brexit work' theme, but as long as he talks about the future and not the past, he can keep the Tory party on the hop. At this stage he doesn't need detailed policy, he has to wait and see how successful or otherwise Sunak is over the NI situation. Brexit is no longer the 'wrecking ball' it was for Labour, it still however carries a threat of internal strife within the Tory Party, so he needs something to stoke the issue, without getting drawn into detail.
The 'big ideas ', like the post WW2, Education and National Health Service Acts, which has changed the lives of millions, have to affect people directly, to be capable of making their lives and the lives of their children and grand children better over time. One 'big idea' like this, that resonates as 'an idea whose time has come', might be all Starmer needs to get the massive parliamentary majority he is going to need to really make the next Labour Government count.