Only snaps are shown - no apps from the archive

[fossfreedom]

Using 21 March 20.04 Ubuntu Budgie daily - minimal install

The only applications shown on the front page are snaps - cannot search or show for any archive apps.

launching gnome-software from the command line I see

22:53:28:0287 XbSilo xb_builder_ensure: assertion 'error == NULL || *error == NULL' failed
22:53:28:0302 Gs enabled plugins: desktop-categories, fwupd, os-release, packagekit, packagekit-local, packagekit-offline, packagekit-proxy, packagekit-refine-repos, packagekit-refresh, packagekit-upgrade, packagekit-url-to-app, desktop-menu-path, hardcoded-blacklist, modalias, odrs, packagekit-refine, rewrite-resource, snap, packagekit-history, provenance, systemd-updates, generic-updates, provenance-license, icons, key-colors, key-colors-metadata
22:53:28:0302 Gs disabled plugins: dpkg, dummy, repos, appstream
22:53:31:0903 Gs Only 0 apps for recent list, hiding
22:53:32:0165 GLib g_variant_new_variant: assertion 'value != NULL' failed
22:53:32:0165 GLib g_variant_new_variant: assertion 'value != NULL' failed
22:53:32:0166 Gs not GsPlugin error g-io-error-quark:35: Invalid string value converting to GVariant
22:53:32:0167 Gs not handling error failed for action refine: Invalid string value converting to GVariant

So why are dpkg, dummy, repos, appstream disabled? How can they be enabled?

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 20.04
Package: gnome-software 3.35.91-0ubuntu1
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 5.4.0-18.22-generic 5.4.24
Uname: Linux 5.4.0-18-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.20.11-0ubuntu21
Architecture: amd64
CurrentDesktop: Budgie:GNOME
Date: Sun Mar 22 22:56:40 2020
InstallationDate: Installed on 2020-03-21 (1 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu-Budgie 20.04 LTS "Focal Fossa" - Alpha amd64 (20200320)
InstalledPlugins:
 gnome-software-plugin-flatpak N/A
 gnome-software-plugin-snap 3.35.91-0ubuntu1
SourcePackage: gnome-software
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)

[fossfreedom (fossfreedom)]

Also attached is the output of gnome-software --verbose | tee gnome-software.txt

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.

[fossfreedom (fossfreedom)]

I've tracked this down to network-manager-pptp-gnome - without this package you get this issue - install the package and all is well.

So this should be a dependency of gnome-software?