Mike,

You asked:
What is the UK view of the Bureau of Investigative Journalism (BIJ) ?
I have looked at the website before and to a non-media person it appears to be well funded, with a private trust's donation, based at a London university, with a mix of student and professional journalists - the later from mainstream outlets. Their aim appears to be to provide stories to the media. The subject matter varies and rarely - thankfully - appears to be PR-led.

London is awash with establishments where journalists and others mix, just like Washington DC.