Its most prominent MP was Labour's Clement Attlee, party leader from 1935 to 1955, and Prime Minister from 1945 to 1951.

The neighbourhood of Limehouse formed a division of the parliamentary borough of Tower Hamlets.

In 1889 the Tower division of Middlesex was severed from the county, for administrative purposes.

When a re-distribution of parliamentary seats took place in 1918, the constituency became a division of Stepney.

It comprised the wards of Limehouse North, Limehouse South, Mile End Old Town North East, Mile End Old Town South East, and Ratcliffe.