THERE is no denying that Jim Murphy is slick.

At the launch of his campaign to be the next leader of the Scottish Labour Party, he was fluent, funny and disciplined in his messages.

A new career in sales is assured if he loses.

The former Scottish secretary was also right in diagnosing a lack of vision in the party, a flaw that cost it the last two Holyrood elections.

"I want people to feel a sense of passion and pride in voting Labour again," he said.

"But for that to happen I know that I have to apologise, because too many Scots thought we weren't up to the job in the past."

In his 100-day referendum tour of Scotland, he also said he had learned voters want change.

They wanted action on poverty, inequality, low pay and improving their children's chances.

Delivering that change, and addressing those concerns, would be Scottish Labour's mission.

It was a pitch designed to convince the party he could end its losing streak, and to appeal to the thousands of disaffected Labour supporters who revolted and voted Yes on September 18.

But while it was slick, was it substantial?

Murphy's response to Labour's lack of vision ought surely to be a clear vision of his own.

Yet there were no policies on offer.

Although he listed many of the social ills affecting Scotland, ­especially its poorest citizens, ­solutions came there none. It is easy to decry inequality and injustice. No sane person would advocate them.

Questioned afterwards about policy specifics, Murphy was vague and hesitant, happier saying what he doesn't want than what he does.

Of course, this was only his campaign launch.

The winner will not be declared for six weeks, and there is time for more detail to emerge.

But it was surely unwise for any candidate to raise "the vision thing" while empty-handed.

Murphy's apology also felt synthetic, a box to be duly ticked on the way to the election.

It made him look like an extension of Scottish Labour's problems rather than a solution.

Pat Rafferty, the Scottish general secretary of the Unite union, summed it up rather well.

"On the basis of this speech, it is extremely difficult ... to find much hope that Jim Murphy is offering genuine, positive change in Scottish Labour", he said.

He added: "We sincerely hope it will not be much longer before Jim Murphy tells us what policies he is promoting."

Quite so.

Without ideas, talent or direction, Scottish Labour has been a hollow shell for years.

The referendum merely lit up the rot.

Jim Murphy will need to bring out far more than yesterday's squib to show he can cure it.